In 2013, our key areas of service delivery will be: In Peel. Aboriginal Health and Well Being Services. Peel Youth Medical Services

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1 SUMMER 2012 /13 MESSAGE FROM THE CEO As we celebrate the end of 2012, GP down south remains an active and viable organisation providing primary care programs and services throughout the Peel and South West regions. Our funding is predominantly through Commonwealth and State Health Departments, with Commonwealth funding now received via Medicare Locals. There are two Medicare Locals operating within GP down south s geographical area: Perth South Coastal Medicare Local and South West WA Medicare Local and GP down south is working in partnership with both Medicare Locals to provide programs and services which meet identified health needs and address service gaps. In addition, we are working with other funders including South Metro Area Health Service, Southern Country Health Service South West, Peel Health Foundation and St John of God Hospital Bunbury to deliver programs and services. Our priority being to increase investment in primary health care services within our region. In 2013, our key areas of service delivery will be: In Peel Peel Mobile Health Service Aboriginal Health and Well Being Services Peel Youth Medical Services Education and Training for GPs and their staff National Prescribing Service In South West Mental Health Services Aboriginal Health and Well Being Services Child Health Services Activity Assistants Program Education and Training for GPs and their staff National Prescribing Service Southern Forests Health (General Practice in Manjimup) GP down south employs over 60 staff to provide these programs and services with a significant Aboriginal workforce numbering 21 employees and making up 35% of our workforce which is a source of great pride and satisfaction for us as an organisation Since 1 July 2012, core funding from the Commonwealth Department of Health and Ageing for GP down south and all GP Networks around Australia has ceased. This reduction in funding severely limited our capacity in recent months to provide support to General Practice including Practice visits and advice, CPD events, Practice Nurse and Practice Manager Network Meetings and communications (website, newsletters and fax outs). GPs and their staff make up the majority of our membership and their ongoing support is vital to the future success of GP down south. We are currently seeking alternate funding sources to enable us to resume and enhance these Practice support activities. Following the change and uncertainty of the last 12 months and to help us determine areas for improvement and future strategies for GP down south, we have recently undertaken a Stakeholder Perception Survey. Thank you to those of you who participated, we look forward to sharing our key research outcomes with you in the near future, and warmly welcome any further feedback at any time. Thank you to the Board, the senior staff and the whole team for their commitment and loyalty during Finally, I wish everyone associated with GP down south a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. Amanda Poller CEO, GP down south Office , Mobile amandap@gpdownsouth.com.au 1

2 New Down SOUTH AbORigiNAl HEAlTH (DSAH) PREMiSES in HARvey and MANjiMUP Harvey GP down south has leased a room in the premises used previously by the Community Resource Centre in Harvey. The premises is centrally located near the main street opposite the IGA facing the courtyard at Unit 5/5 Hayward Street, Harvey and is popular with Aboriginal community members as it is easily accessible. Our Harvey based Down South Aboriginal Health staff members Lesley Ugle, Aboriginal Outreach Worker and Annette Butcher, Care Coordinator and Diabetes Educator both work out of the premises on Tuesdays and Wednesdays providing support, advocacy and care to Aboriginal clients with chronic conditions. Manjimup GP down south has also relocated the Manjimup Office of Down South Aboriginal Health from premises at the Warren District Hospital to new premises in the Manjimup town centre in September The new office is located at Unit 78, Rose Street Manjimup and is co-located with South West Aboriginal Medical Service (SWAMS). SWAMS operates a clinic from the premises every Thursday from 10.00am to 3.30pm, and provides GP and primary health services in conjunction with the team from Down South Aboriginal Health. Dr Leanne Abas, who has worked with SWAMS for several years and is a well known doctor in the southwest, is the GP at the clinic. GP down south s Aboriginal Health Workers will provide services from the new premises in Rose Street Mondays to Thursdays, 8.30am to 4.30pm. The Chief Executive Officer of SWAMS, Dr Glen Power said The new clinic will provide a convenient and comprehensive primary care service to our clients in the Manjimup region. The Chairman of SWAMS, Norman Hayward, said SWAMS has expanded its satellite clinics in recent times, and now operates clinics in Brunswick Junction and Collie in addition to its main medical clinic at South West Health Campus. Access is such an important issue for many patients, and this new clinic, like the others we have opened this year, will give more people the opportunity for convenient primary care The CEO of GP down south, Amanda Poller, said GP down south will work in partnership with SWAMS when they provide their clinic on Thursdays to improve access to services for people in Manjimup. In addition, our Aboriginal Health Workers will continue to be available Mondays to Thursdays to support Aboriginal people to access mainstream GP and primary care services. We are delighted with our new premises in Rose Street which have been developed in collaboration with SWAMS with funding support from the South West WA Medicare Local. Left: DSAH Aboriginal Health Worker Pam Bolitho providing Welcome to Country Right: SWAMS Chairman Norman Hayward and GP down south CEO Amanda Poller 2

3 THE PEEl Mobile HEAlTH SERviCE (PMHS) HiTS the ROAD The keys for the Peel Mobile Health Service vehicle were officially handed over to GP down south at Barbagallo Volkswagen in Mandurah on 4th September A partnership between Peel Health Foundation, South Metropolitan Health Service, GP down south and supported by a host of local sponsors, the service aims to deliver health promotion, education and clinical services to the outer areas of the Peel Region. The fully equipped and self sufficient vehicle will enable local agencies, allied health providers and clinicians from both the public and private sectors to visit populations who are disadvantaged by isolation, lack of existing services, transportation and an ageing population making access to services difficult. The following services are currently established Dwellingup GP visits weekly PARK Older Adult Mental Health Services fortnightly Diabetes Educator and Dietitian service monthly Since receiving the vehicle, GP down south has established a mix of services to Waroona, Pinjarra, Dwellingup and Boddington. The highlight of these being the reintroduction of a weekly GP visit to Dwellingup after a gap of many years. Pinjarra Palmerston Drug and Alcohol Services weekly PARK Older Adult Mental Health Services fortnightly Above: Dr Chouie Niadoo providing the first GP service to happy Dwellingup residents Waroona Palmerston Drug and Alcohol Services weekly PARK Older Adult Mental Health Services fortnightly In addition to these services the Peel Mobile Health Service has attended various events including Seniors Week, Postnatal Depression Awareness Week, Dementia Awareness Day and the Stay On Your Feet Expo in collaboration with relevant agencies to provide health promotion messages. The Peel Mobile Health Service will continue to talk to local services and communities across the region in order to identify further gaps in the health needs of the local communities. For more information on any of these services, or to discuss possibilities for future services, please contact Eleanor at the Mandurah office on

4 Otitis Media (OM) PROGRAM GP down south has been funded for a 12 month Pilot Program by the Australian Medicare Local Alliance (AMLA) to implement a best model of care based on the updated Otitis Media (OM) Clinical Guidelines. This program is to enhance the capacity of GPs and Nurses to diagnose and treat OM and to increase the likelihood of diagnosis by giving Aboriginal children regular access to a GP. GP down south will continue to provide clinical OM workshops in the target communities of Collie, Peel and Manjimup early in A clinical workshop covering ear assessment and the use of ear equipment for Primary Health Care Professionals is planned for early 2013 in the South West. One of the key barriers for diagnosis and treatment of OM is that Aboriginal children are not routinely seeing a GP. Our Down South Aboriginal Health team in Collie and Manjimup are available to support Aboriginal parents and carers to access GP and primary care services and also support attendance of school children for screening at local schools through the Telethon Ear Bus Program. GP down south has appointed Priscilla Morrison, an Aboriginal Health Worker based in Collie to undertake basic ear checks in the community and also to undertake community education to parents and carers to reduce the risk factors contributing to development of Otitis Media. There is some funding available for selected practices in the target areas when certain criteria have been met, e.g. attendance of practice staff at Clinical OM Workshop, adherence to Clinical Guidelines and appropriate referrals for Aboriginal children with Otitis Media. Please contact Carol Rynbeck for further details on or carolr@gpdownsouth.com.au Two members of Down South Aboriginal Health team, Priscilla Morrison and Annie O Breza with health promotion resources including Care for Kids Ears resources at a recent cultural day at the Bunbury TAFE. FESTive SEASON OFFiCE ClOSURES The Board and staff of GP down south wish everyone a Happy Christmas and New Year spent with those you love doing the things you most enjoy. Our offices will close at 4.30pm on Friday 21st December 2012 and reopen on Wednesday 2nd January 2013 at 8.30am. For any urgent matters over the holiday break please contact THE CEO Amanda Poller on:

5 CARE PlANNing and COORDinatiON with the FliNDERS PROGRAM WorkSHOP The CVC training comprises four modules, with an optional workshop for Module 2. Module 1: Is your service ready? Module 2: Care Planning and Coordination with the Flinders Program TM Module 3: Managing Care Plans with disease-specific elements Module 4: Veterans social isolation, mental health and wellbeing. Visit to access the CVC training online or To get the most benefit from the workshop we recommend you complete Module 2 Sections 1 to 4 online first: 1. Care planning and coordination 2. Care planning process 3. Identifying and arranging access to interventions 4. Ongoing coordination, coaching and monitoring. Then submit a completed Care Plan to Flinders University. Please allow one to two weeks to receive feedback. Then attend a one day workshop to complete a second Care Plan and finish the module. The workshop is optional, Module 2 can be completed online or by using the DVD versions. Module 2 workshop learning objectives Demonstrate competency in the care planning process in chronic condition management including: Applied skills in conducting a comprehensive needs assessment including use of screening tools Kessler 10 and Partners in Health Scale The ability to assess a veteran s capacities, strengths and barriers to self-management using the Flinders Program tools The ability to prepare a comprehensive 12 month Care Plan in collaboration with the veteran, their carer, and other healthcare providers for the GP s input and oversight. Why should I attend a workshop? The workshop will provide an opportunity for health professionals involved in the CVC Program to learn more about the Program and to practice care planning using the relevant tools in a multi disciplinary environment. It is an opportunity to network with other health professionals in your area. Training will be conducted by highly experienced health and educational professionals from the Flinders Human Behaviour & Health Research Unit. An integral part of the workshop is the opportunity for participants to interview volunteers who have one or more chronic condition/s. Please note: Information provided by veterans must re-main confidential. There is no charge for attendance at the workshop. Workshops will be offered in all capital cities and in regional areas which have a large population of eligible veterans. WORKSHOPS IN YOur AREA BUNBury BUSSELTON DATE: Wednesday 13th February 2013 DATE: Saturday 25th May 2013 TIME: 9:00am - 4:00pm TIME: 9:00am - 4:00pm VENUE: Vat 2, 2 Jetty Rd, Bunbury, WA 6230 VENUE: The Goose Café, Geographe Bay Rd, Busselton WA 6280 Flyers will be sent to all practices closer to the event. Register online at For workshop enquiries or to request the training modules on DVD, please contact: CVCProgram@flinders.edu.au Website: Phone: Fax:

6 PYMS AchievED RACGP AccrediTATiON The team at Peel Youth Medical Service (PYMS) and GP down south has worked endlessly in the past 12 months towards accreditation under the new 4th Edition RACGP Standards for General Practice. The Board of GP down south are extremely proud to see what started as a collaborative drop-in clinic in 2003 now become recognised as a General Practice under the RACGP Standards. Dr Simone Stubbs, one of the three GPS who provides regular sessions at the practice was involved in some of the accrediation preparations. She comments, At the survey visit, the accreditors commended our practice on the high standard of clinical notes and evidence of inter-agency communication. That is fantastic as we strive to provide a holistic service for all young people aged at PYMS. We work closely with other agencies to develop linkages with other support systems and services to meet the social, emotional and medical needs of our patients. Instrumental to meeting the 4th Edition Standards was the GP SuperClinics Primary Care Infrastructure Grant received in This grant enabled the full refurbishment of the clinic rooms in early Today PYMS is a youth friendly space which boasts 2 GP consulting rooms, a nurse s room, a case manager s office and a reception and waiting area. The GP rooms are well equipped and offer a great medical facility which is comfortable for young people. Peel Youth Medical Service is open Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday afternoons. Currently GP sessions are conducted on Mondays, Thursdays and once a month on a Friday. GP sessions are planned to increase in The Youth Case Manager, funded by St John of God Hospital Bunbury, is available Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Sexual Health Clinics from Fremantle s B2 unit are on Wednesday afternoons. A youth friendly Psychologist is also available on-site. Located upstairs at Billy Dower Youth Centre, PYMS is ideally located to work closely with other youth specific agencies. Our appointments are typically longer than other general practices which allows young people to talk to the GP and gives GPs greater time to explain and provide information to the patient. PYMS is a bulk-billing practice and appointments are made by phoning Local GPs are encouraged to refer patients in the age bracket whom they feel would benefit from seeing our GPs who have experience in dealing with youth health, particularly sexual health and mental health matters. Our GPs will communicate with referring doctors verbally or in writing. Please send referrals by fax to or speak to the PYMS Nurse, Shelley Wright, on NB: The accreditation visit was at the end of October, and at the time of writing this article the practice is awaiting the reports to be finalised with every indication that this registration will be received. Services at Peel Youth Medical Service are made possible by partnerships between GP down south, City of Mandurah and St John of God Hospital Bunbury. 6

7 Important CHANGES TO MENTAL HEALTH SERviCES REFERRAl PATHways FOR GENERAl PRACTitiONERS Peel (Including Mandurah, Pinjarra and Waroona) The Perth South Coastal Medicare Local (PSCML) is now coordinating mental health services under the Access to Allied Health Services (ATAPS) both general and also Tier 2 Suicide Access. New referral forms have been provided to practices and any queries should be directed to Maureen Robertson at the PSCML. South West (Including Busselton, Dunsborough, Collie, Harvey, Yarloop, Margaret River and Augusta) GP down south continues to deliver Access to Allied Health Services (ATAPS) to the South West area. All referrals are now faxed to a central triage point and on receipt the patient is sent a letter with instructions for contacting their Mental Health Professional. New referrals forms have been distributed to all practices together with a laminated chart explaining the process for each General Practitioner. If you have mislaid your copy or need any additional information, please contact Jackie Bowser on Better Access to Mental Health Changes to Number of Available Sessions From 1 January 2013, Medicare rebates for eligible people with a diagnosed mental disorder under the Better Access initiative will be for 10 individual allied mental health services per calendar year. There will be no provisions for additional sessions under the previous exceptional circumstances provisions. More information about this can be found at: Warren Blackwood (Including Boyup Brook, Pemberton, Bridgetown, Nannup and Manjimup) GP down south will continue to deliver Mental Health Services under the Rural and Remote area program to individuals who are low income earners in the Warren Blackwood region. At present there is no change in the referral pathways into this program. GPs are required to refer directly to the Allied Health Professional on a GP down south mental health referral form. Personal HEAlTH RESOURCES FOR Doctors, MediCAl STUDENTS and FAMiliES in WA Colleague of First Contact (Doctor s Health Advisory Service in WA) For Doctors in crisis, or not sure where to go for help with personal or health problems. This totally confidential 24-hr service is available to all Doctors and Medical Students. It can be contacted by the person themselves, or by a concerned family member, friend, colleague or staff member. Callers do not need to identify themselves. It consists of a group of experienced male and female GPs, and is independent, reporting back to no other medical organisation. Problems dealt with include stress, depression, suicidal thought, substance abuse, grief or concerns about illness. Sometimes the contact can be about impaired performance in a colleague. The Doctors do not usually provide active medical treatment, their main function being to go through the options with callers when they are faced with a dilemma, or to advise the caller on the most appropriate referral services. GP down south Stakeholder Research Thank You For Your Support. On behalf of GP down south, thank you to those of you who participated in our stakeholder research conducted by The Hub Marketing and Communications. Your opinions are extremely important to us, and will help us determine areas for improvement and future strategies for GP down south. We look forward to sharing our key research outcomes with you in the near future, and warmly welcome any further feedback at any time. 7

8 Cultural Awareness Training Day For WAGPET Registrars In November Western Australian General Practice Education and Training (WAGPET) Registrars experienced a cultural awareness training day at Nidjalla Waangan Mia. This day covered a presentation on common health conditions in Aboriginal patients with Dr Willie Walker and yarning with recognised community members George Walley and Franklyn Nannup. The registrars enjoyed a luncheon with crocodile, kangaroo and squid on the menu. In the afternoon, George Walley led visits to sites in Mandurah significant to times past. GP DOWN SOUTH CONTACTS Peel Office: 30 Minilya Parkway, Mandurah WA 6210 Ph: Fax: South West Office: U3 / 69 Duchess Street, Busselton WA 6280 Ph: Fax: