News
In Practice: Shaping future initiatives
Members once again have the chance to communicate directly with the RACGP Board, while new webinars provide the opportunity to upskill.
The November engageGP member forum will allow GPs to raise and discuss general practice matters with the RACGP Board.
This week’s round-up includes information on participating in the engageGP member forum, clinical guidance for nicotine vaping products, a reminder on telehealth exemptions, and webinars on the health impacts of climate change and gambling addiction.
RACGP Convocation is back with a new name and new opportunities
After a short hiatus in 2020, RACGP Convocation is back, with members able to raise and discuss matters affecting general practice with the RACGP Board during the November engageGP member forum.
The engageGP submission period closes 11.59 pm (AEST) Tuesday 12 October.
Further key dates for engageGP are available on the RACGP website.
Webinar: Smoking cessation – clinical guidance for nicotine vaping products
Presented by Professor Nick Zwar, Chair of the Expert Advisory Group of the RACGP Smoking cessation guidelines, and Dr Shane Jackson Chair, of the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia’s Project Advisory Group, this webinar will describe the process for initiating and prescribing nicotine vaping products for smoking cessation.
This event is a CPD Activity under the RACGP CPD Program (two points).
Date and time: Tuesday 5 October, 6:30–7.30 pm (AEDT).
More information on registration and the webinar itself is available on the RACGP website.
Telehealth existing relationship requirement – exemption for COVID-19 hotspots
Since 20 July 2020, it has been a legislative requirement that to access MBS telehealth services, patients must have had a face-to-face attendance with the GP providing the service, or another practitioner at the same practice, at least once in the previous 12 months.
GPs are reminded that patients are exempt from this requirement if, at the time of receiving the telehealth service, they are:
- in COVID-19 isolation because of a state or territory public health order
- in COVID-19 quarantine because of a state or territory public health order
- located in an COVID-19 hotspot as declared by the Commonwealth Chief Medical Officer.
A list of current Commonwealth-declared COVID-19 hotspots is available on the
Department of Health website. Patients in these areas can access Medicare rebates for telehealth with a GP regardless of whether they have attended the practice in the past year.
More information on exemptions is available in this
AskMBS Advisory.
Webinar: The health effects of climate change
Last week, the RACGP was co-signatory to an open letter addressed to the Prime Minister, which called on the Federal Government to cut greenhouse gas emissions this decade in line with science-based targets.
Moreover,
a recently published study found Australians are almost three times as concerned about climate change as they are about COVID-19.
To help provide GPs with more information on the health effects of anthropogenic climate change, a new webinar has been produced that will outline opportunities for GPs to adapt and mitigate the climate crisis, focusing on what can be done regarding patients, practices, communities, and for themselves.
The webinar, presented by Dr Kate Wylie from RACGP Specific Interests Climate and Environmental Medicine, will feature the following learning outcomes:
- Describe how burning fossil fuels causes global warming
- Identify three common health impacts of climate change
- Describe which groups are at the greatest risk of heat-related illness
- Describe which groups are at the greatest risk of smoke inhalation from bushfires
- Identify the mental health impacts of climate change
This free event is a CPD activity under the RACGP CPD Program (two points).
Time and date: Thursday 30 September, 7:30 pm – 8:30 pm (AEST).
Registration is available via the
RACGP website.
Webinar: Gambling harm awareness training for GPs
It’s estimated that people with gambling problems will have an effect on six people around them. Significant impacts to an affected person include financial, health, education, employment, social and their psychological wellbeing.
GPs play an important role in identifying people with gambling problems and can refer them to available resources.
This educational webinar aims to improve the awareness of gambling harm and arm GPs with the resources and solutions to help those in need.
Although applicable on a national scale, the content of this webinar will focus primarily on resources and services available in NSW.
Time and date: Wednesday 29 September, 7.00–8.30 pm (AEST).
Registrations available via the
events calendar.
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