The Sunshine Coast Hospital and Health Service has a well-developed plastic surgery service, which includes the management of complex skin cancer excisions. Skin cancer excisions are also managed by the department of general surgery. To improve patient access to the appropriate specialty, the following referral criteria have been introduced: All …
World Asthma Day
7 May 2019 is World Asthma Day. To mark the day, the National Asthma Council has released and answered Australians’ top 6 questions about asthma – from using spacers to asthma diagnosis in older Australians; how to manage asthma when pregnant and the effect of fragrances on asthma and allergies. …
New resources from Ethnic Communities Council
New resources available from ECCQ. The Ethnic Communities Council of Queensland (ECCQ) is continuing its work within the culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) populations in Queensland and the Hepatitis, HIV/AIDS and Sexual Health Program is pleased to advise the availability of new resources for patients. The B Healthy booklet is …
AMAQ Regional Private Practice Series on this week
The AMA Queensland Regional Private Practice Seminar Series Two: Workplace policies and risk management will be hosted, on 5 & 6 December, in Bundaberg and Rockhampton this week. Join Michelle Cowan, Senior Industrial Officer, AMA Queensland and Paul Copeland, Director, William Buck to examine the set-up of a policy framework …
Join the walk to save people from kidney disease
Across Australia, thousands of people will walk during September 2018 to show their support for kidney patients, families of people with kidney disease, and people at risk of developing kidney disease. Over 1.7 million people are living with kidney disease across Australia right now. Kidney Health Australia exists to help …
Novel coronavirus: face masks and additional resources
The Health Minister has indicated that the Department of Health is making the national stockpile of face masks available to general practices as needed. We do not yet have exact details about when they will be available, but we will advise you as soon as delivery dates are confirmed. Priority …
Novel coronavirus – latest PHN updates
Last updated: 4 February 2020 Novel coronavirus There has been an outbreak of a novel (new) coronavirus (2019-nCoV) originating in Wuhan, China. Queensland Health asks you consider novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) infection in patients with fever and respiratory symptoms who recently travelled to anywhere in China, and investigate patients using standard …
Quality Improvement activity benefits practice and patients
A general practice in Gympie is helping to improve the health and wellbeing of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community – and grow its patient base – after successfully implementing a 12-month quality improvement activity last year. The quality improvement activity promoted the importance of 715 health check, the …
The Way Back Support Service
Central Queensland, Wide Bay, Sunshine Cost PHN is funding Beyond Blue’s postvention initiative The Way Back Support Service across the region, to provide non-clinical care coordination for up to three months for people who have recently attempted suicide. To be eligible for The Way Back, individuals must be 15 years and older and have presented to a hospital …
Introducing the new national data platform
Central Queensland, Wide Bay, Sunshine Coast PHN will soon migrate the de-identified practice data we’ve collected under your practice agreement into a new, gold-standard IT platform called Primary Health Insights. Primary Health Insights is a secure storage and management platform purpose-built for primary care data and will be used by PHNs across the nation. The platform has undergone vigorous testing and governance and has been endorsed …
Department of Health releases new National Cervical Screening Program information
Friday, 1 December 2017 marked the commencement of the renewed National Cervical Screening Program (NCSP) supported by the National Cancer Screening Register (NCSR). IMPORTANT INFORMATION – Screening women under 25 years of age Routine cervical screening is not recommended in the renewed program for women under 25 years. Some women under 25 …
Can you help a patient with their decision to transition into further education?
For patients who have a disability, the decision to pursue further education and subsequent employment may well throw up the dilemma of whether they should disclose the full details of their disability to an employer or educational institution. It is a deeply personal decision which may make some people feel …
Have the CHAT with your patients
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) exacerbations are the second leading cause of preventable hospitalisations in Australia. Research shows that your patients with COPD are more likely to have an exacerbation (flare-up of symptoms) during the winter months. ‘Have the CHAT’ is Lung Foundation Australia’s COPD exacerbation campaign for primary care …
EOI: Lead a mental health innovation in your general practice
Lead a mental health innovation in your general practice The PHN and the Black Dog Institute have been working for the past two years with general practices across the region to offer the StepCare service – an innovative mental health service that uses digital health technology. In that time, over 1400 patients have participated in the initiative, and data …
Get involved – Queensland Mental Health Week
10-18 October is Queensland Mental Health Week. General practice plays a key role in promoting a mentally healthy community, and this year as part of QMHW you’re encouraged to ‘Take time for mental health‘. How to get involved: Raise awareness and wear purple for positivity and empowerment and/or green for …
#NursesWhereYouNeedThem: Rae Fialla
The Australian College of Nursing’s 2020 ‘Nursing in the Community Week’ shines a light on the importance of #NursesWhereYouNeedThem, and Central Queensland, Wide Bay, Sunshine Coast PHN is also celebrating these vital healthcare professionals by profiling some of the nurses within our own organisation. Our PHN recently welcomed Rae Fialla …
Communicating with your patients
Our PHN works closely with Healthily to look at new ways general practice can deliver information to their patients. The fortnightly Take Time Out Interactive Packages general practices across our region have been sent for staff, is a good example of the Healthily/GoShare platform. Find out more here.
#NursesWhereYouNeedThem: Ellen McDermott
The week of 14-20 September is the Australian College of Nursing’s ‘Nursing in the Community Week’, with the theme this year #NursesWhereYouNeedThem. The PHN’s Ellen McDermott has many stories to share from her 37 years as a nurse. “Over these years I have worked in aged care, private hospitals, public …
Use of My Health Record climbs
Uptake and use of My Health Record has continued to climb in recent months. There are now more than 22.81 million records, with over 86% of those containing data. The Australian Digital Health Agency’s Statistics and Insights document from July 2020 shows the number of records with data increased by …
Mumps outbreak in the Rockhampton and Capricorn Coast areas
Several confirmed cases and a small number of likely but unconfirmed cases of mumps have been identified in students in the boarding school at St Brendan’s college. The purpose of this communique is to provide you with some information about the steps being taken to minimise further spread in the …