Welcome to the November 2010 edition, in this issue:

Registrar and Supervisor Surveys

The 2010 Supervisor survey was released two week ago with the Registrar survey due to go out in the next few days. The feedback we gain from these surveys is crucial to NCGPT in determining how we are performing, if there are any areas we need to address and how we will structure our future operations and training.

We ask all registrars and supervisors to please take a few minutes to complete these surveys as we genuinely take on board all responses.

The surveys are anonymous, mainly multiple choice and should take under ten minutes to complete. The surveys are online so there is no need to print or return any paperwork.

Thanks to those supervisors who have already completed their survey. So far the response rate is only around 30% so we urge those who haven’t as yet completed the survey to log on and add their thoughts.

Contact seano@ncgpt.org.au  for the supervisor survey online site if you have not already received it. The registrar site will be advised in the next few days.
 

New National Minimum Terms and Conditions

The new National Minimum Terms and Conditions for GPT1 and GPT2 Registrars for 2011 have just been released.

Click here for further information. 
 

Sarah McEwan awarded ACRRM Rural Registrar of the Year

Dr Sarah McEwan

NCGPT Registrar, Dr Sarah McEwan, has been awarded the Westpac RDAA-ACRRM Rural Registrar of the Year Award for 2010, in recognition of her commitment to rural practice and her dedication to providing high quality medical care to the remote communities in her region.

Sarah spent the last 4 years with NCGPT, mainly in the Tweed Heads region,  while completing her GP Training. She then completed additional training in Obstetrics and Gynecology and Emergency  through NCGPTs,  NSW GP Procedural Training Program (see www.ncgpt.org.au/gp-procedural-training ) This recent award follows on from Sarah winning the 2009 RACGP Rural Registrar of the year.

As an indigenous registrar, Sarah has worked in the role of Indigenous Support Officer for NCGPT and has recently moved to Port Headland in Western Australia where she is now fulfilling her lifelong plans of providing medical care to the remote indigenous communities of that region.

Sarah received the award at a gala dinner at Rural Medicine Australia 2010, the national conference of the Rural Doctors Association of Australia (RDAA) and Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine (ACRRM), held in Hobart on Saturday night. NCGPT Medical Educator Linda Brown also attended the event.

ACRRM President, Dr Jeff Ayton, said Sarah is an extraordinary role model for other young rural doctors, taking a leadership role not only in her medical practice but also in her community.

“Sarah provides outstanding, dedicated care to the rural communities in which she works, most recently as the District Medical Officer in Obstetrics and Gynaecology and Emergency at Port Hedland Hospital” he said. “She has shown a great enthusiasm for pursuing further education and training in the key areas needed by her rural community, and her ongoing commitment to rural medicine and strong leadership role make her a highly deserving recipient of this prestigious award.”

READ MORE 
 

New RLO Michael McKeough

Port Macquarie based registrar, Michael McKeough is the latest NCGPT Registrar Liaison Officer joining Kirsten Patterson and Katherine Dent. Michael, introduce yourself....

Hello fellow North Coast Registrars and anyone else reading! My name is Michael McKeough and I am the new RLO for the North Coast southern division. In this new role I hope to be providing a link between us Registrars and NCGPT and also to help with any problems or issues that may arise while training.

Just a brief background, I am currently working in a small practice in Port Macquarie (CPC Medical Centre) where I am enjoying my ‘advanced’ term. I grew up in the small country town of Wingham which is approximately an hour south of Port Macquarie; studied at UNSW in Sydney; completed my degree in 2007 and then spent the last couple of years as a Queenslander at the Gold Coast Hospital.

I am married to an amazing (and very patient) woman who has just completed her final GP exams. My other passions include outdoor adventure, tennis, touch football and travel!

How would I spend my last ten dollars? I would exchange it for US currency at the moment. If I had to pick three people (outside of my family) to be stuck on a deserted island with, I would choose: Oprah (not a huge fan but imagine the search party!), Bear Grylls (I am a massive fan); and the Dalai Lama (who needs rescue when you can have enlightenment…).

If there are any questions or concerns regarding training, or you find yourself in Port Macquarie and would like to meet up for a chat, simply send me an email on catalasepositive@hotmail.com and I will get in touch with you. 

I look forward to our interactions in the coming year.
 

NCGPT at the GPET Conference in Alice Springs

The NCGPT Green Machine - beaten but not disgraced.

The GPET conference was held in Alice Springs providing many participants, including Sue Gramza and I, with an opportunity to take an extra few days to visit the beautiful red centre and in particular Uluru.

The scientific program included workshops, paper presentation and posters and enabled many individuals and RTPs to showcase their innovative works and projects. Kayte Evans, Sarah McEwan and I gave paper presentations. Hilton unfortunately was unable to attend and had to cancel his workshops.
 

While the main focus was on registrar teaching, the other themes of cultural competency and clinical competence were covered quite comprehensively.  The satellite meetings allowed cultural educators and mentors, CEOs, Chairs and medical educators to meet, discuss policy and conduct professional development sessions.
 

The social program included the Todd River Regatta where much skullduggery was enacted methinks. Why else would NCGPT have failed to make the finals?
The NCGPT delegates met on the last day to pool ideas and catch “dreams and wishes” while they were still current.
 

The medical educators will further develop some of the themes and ideas captured by the group, when we hold our planning meeting this coming weekend, so expect to see some changes in 2011.

Christine Ahern

For a detailed coverage of the conference and all award winners visit the GPET October Newslatter.

Check out the Beyond Medical Education video of the RTP Todd River Regatta (NCGPT in Green) at;

http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=1613195576400&oid=123600484323373&comments&ref=mf
 

Debbie Kors awarded GPET Supervisor of the Year

Debbie Kores receives her award from Medical Observers' David Brill

Congratulations to NCGPT Supervisor Debbie Kors on being awarded the GPET/Medical Observer GP Supervisor of the Year for 2010. A record 17 nominations were received this year for the award so it was a fantastic result for both Debbie and NCGPT.

Debbie's commitment to teaching extends to attracting, training and shaping the next generation of GPs for her community. She values the importance of vertically integrated teaching by her involvement as a lecturer at the UNSW Rural Clinical School, medical educator for North Coast GP Training, board member of Hastings Macleay GP Network and, from next year, a PGPPP supervisor.

She has helped expand capacity in Port Macquarie by opening a second training practice in the area and has in the past also lobbied to have the rural pathway extended to RRMA3 locations. As a result, locations such as Port Macquarie now train local (NCGPT) registrars.

Registrars look up to Debbie as a positive and inspirational role model, and her energy and passion for teaching has a profound effect on those around her. One registrar, who worked with Debbie, when asked what else they would like to learn, said "to be at least half as good as my supervisor".
 

GPET Conference Report by Dan Ewald

NCGPT Supervisor Dan Ewald

GPET Conference Alice Springs Sept 2010.
Clinical and Cultural Competence: Everybody’s Business.

You may remember NCGPT offering to sponsor a couple of supervisors to attend this conference. Well, I didn’t get my abstract accepted but I did get to attend, and great fun it was. Most of us who are not regular staff of NCGPT would not normally attend a conference like this given that teaching is not the main thing we do.

I find that the more focussed the program is better I can choose to attend or not. The focus on training for indigenous health drew me in. While I was there, I did however collect some unexpected bonus gems from the large number of people out there passionate about training GP registrars!

READ MORE
 

SLO Update with John Vaughan

Well, having survived the wilds of Ireland I am back in the general practice saddle. Unfortunately my holiday coincided with the GPET conference in Alice Springs. Fortunately my erstwhile deputy John Kramer stepped up and his feedback was invaluable as usual.

The GPSLON has a new chair in Roly Vinci and board but the issues remain the same. The board will be picking away at the GPET board to improve the lot of GP supervisors. Funding our supervisors representative board to the same extent as the GPRA would be a good start so that we can negotiate on equal footing with them. The RTP cannot really get involved in pay negotiations.

We have had a slight pay rise for teaching but it is really GP infrastructure that needs to be carefully looked at if we are to continue to provide quality educational experiences for registrars, PGPPP's and medical students in our practices.

I would urge you all to take the time to fill in the NCGPT Supervisor Survey as the feedback will be invaluable in finding out what your on the ground issues are. Remember take care of yourselves so that you can all be more effective in your many roles.

John Vaughan
SLO
 

Movember with Neil

Neil dispensing with his new mo at the earliest opportunity

Conratulations to NCGPTs Education Officer Neil Bambrook who took on the MOVEMBER challenge and spent the month nurturing what eventually became a rather dashing moustache. Movember is all about raising vital funds and awareness for men’s health, specifically prostate cancer and depression.

Funds are committed to men’s health partners, the Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia and beyondblue: the national depression initiative and the Movember Foundation. Together, the three channels work to ensure that Movember funds are supporting a broad range of innovative, world class programs in the fields of research, education, support, and awareness.

Neil was a member of the Rotary Club of Ballinas Movember team and was very happy to dispense with the growth at the earliest opportunity on the morning of 1st December (see photo). The mo has now gone but you still have a chance to make a welcome donation and send Neil a message by going to;

https://www.movember.com/au/donate/your-details/member_id/1248884/

Donations are easily made by credit card and are 100% tax deductible. A receipt is emailed to you directly after making your online donation.
 

Aboriginal Health Days

 “Aunty” Joyce and Alf Summers with registrars in Tweed Heads

 
NCGPT registrars in the northern area recently completed their Aboriginal Health days. The best part about these workshops is the unique opportunity to meet Aboriginal people who live and work in our area. In Tweed heads the cultural day is run by the affable mother and son duo of “Aunty” Joyce and Alf Summers.

Joyce and Alf somehow managed to take us through a role play of cultural dispossession with good humor and some laughs, despite the seriousness of this topic. Joyce also gave us a glimpse of what traditional Aboriginal life was like pre colonization.

The following session we met 3 inspirational Aboriginal people, Emma Walke and her mother Nancy Walke, and Steven Blunden. Steve told us about his life growing up around Casino and how he was “chosen” to work in the health industry by his family. He had some amazing stories about some new projects that he help set up in north Queensland which provided a sense of hope and forward thinking, often lacking in the Aboriginal health area.

Nancy and Emma are both Bundjalung women, ancestors of the Bundjalung people whose land is the Northern Coastal areas of NSW. Both women were central to creating the Aboriginal Medical Service “Bullina”, which resides next to our offices here in Ballina. They provided us with some insight into the current health of the Aboriginal people living in this area and the value that Aboriginal Medical Services provide versus main stream western health systems.

The final component of the day was spent listening to some presentations from the registrars about Aboriginal health and politics. It was great to see the registrars start teaching each other – a definite highlight for the medical educators – they did a great job! Lastly, we watched some exerts from the SBS series “First Australians”. This is a fantastic 6 part series that documents white colonization and the last 200 years in Australia from the Aboriginal perspective.

I highly recommend this to anyone who wants to learn and understand more about Aboriginal Australia and indeed about the recent history of this country. A history that is mixed with pain, sorrow but also inspiration. A history that is too often left untold. 

Peter Silberberg  NCGPT Medical Educator
 

New Health Incentives for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders under Closing the Gap

At a recent NCGPT Aboriginal Health Day, Corinne Martin the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Project Officer from Tweed Valley General Practice Network briefed the group on the new health incentives for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders under Closing the Gap. Many of the registrars in attendance had no knowledge of the program or the incentives so following is an overview and local contact details as supplied by Corinne. 

New Health Incentives for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders - Closing the Gap
The Indigenous Health Practice Incentives Program (PIP) commenced in May 2010 and supports general practices and Indigenous health services to provide better health care for Indigenous Australians, focusing on best practice management of chronic disease. 

The program targets Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander patients aged 15 years and over who have a chronic disease and is part of the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) National Partnership Agreement on Closing the Gap: Tackling Indigenous Chronic Disease.

There are financial incentives for General Practices to join this program, sign up patients and provide target levels of care for Indigenous patients with chronic disease. Practices that sign up must agree for at least one GP and one other staff member to attend cultural awareness training within 12 months of joining the program, agree to register their eligible patients, offer health checks to all eligible patients and follow-up their patients with a chronic disease.

The intended outcomes of the program include:
- An increase in the overall health of the Indigenous population
- Improved access to culturally sensitive primary care services for Indigenous Australians
- Improved management of chronic conditions experienced by Indigenous Australians

The program outcomes will be achieved through supporting mainstream primary care services to encourage Indigenous Australians to self-identify and fostering collaboration and support between the mainstream primary care, acute care, community care and the Indigenous health sectors.
 

READ MORE

2010 RACGP Conference

John Kramer and Christine Ahern at the RACGP Conference

The RACGP conference was recently held in the beautiful town of Cairns in northern Queensland. There was a great diversity of interesting sessions, both presentations and workshops, to choose from, and I approached the three days with a smorgasbord model of learning in mind!

NCGPT Supervisor John Kramer led an energetic discussion about teaching medical students, highlighting some of the more creative activities that stimulate learning and make placements memorable. Vertical integration got more than one mention from the participants! In particular, a visit to a funeral home was very enlightening for one group of students.

Demystifying our reporting requirements with respect to impaired performance of medical colleagues invited robust discussion at another workshop. While patient safety remains paramount, a common sense approach to reporting with care for our colleagues was emphasised. The keynotes provided much food for thought and friendships were made and renewed.

We extend our warm congratulations to WA doctors Belinda Wozencroft, winner of the RACGP Registrar of the Year award, and Dr Nicola Patching, winner of the NRF Registrar of the Year award. Congratulations also to Dr James Best, a general practitioner from Leichhardt, New South Wales, who was awarded RACGP General Practice Supervisor of the Year Award 2010, and CSQTC Medical Educator Dr Patrick Byrnes, a general practitioner from Bundaberg, Queensland, who has won the RACGP General Practitioner of the Year Award 2010.

We would also like to acknowledge the appointment of Dr Jennie Kendrick, formerly NSW RACGP censor, as Censor-in-Chief. We look forward to continuing our close and productive association with Jennie in her new role.

Christine Ahern
 

2010 Supervisor Workshop

Supervisors and Medical Educators in Coffs Harbour

The 2010 supervisor workshop was held in late August in beautiful Coffs Harbour - one of the jewels in our crown! We started early on the Saturday morning with concurrent "introductory workshop for new supervisors" and an “ introduction to PGPPP" for those practices embarking on this program for the first time.

There was an excellent attendance as always and vigorous and enthusiastic input from all present.

The main workshop had several themes and we started by looking at how to manage the difficult situations that arise from time to time, using our own supervisors and practice managers as the experts.

We then looked at some innovative ways to teach, with a reminder to all those who were there (as well as those who couldn't make it), that TIP payments have been developed to financially reward excellent teaching and to highlight a few teaching activities in particular.

Sunday morning was devoted to an exploration of ethical issues, with guest presenter Frank Meumann . All who participated agreed that the session was both confronting and exceptionally rewarding, and many expressed the view that this kind of workshop would be valuable early in a medical career. We hope to be able to run a similar session for registrars in our 2011 program.

Saturday night gave everyone a chance to relax - at least in theory, as the election results were starting to come in and it soon became evident that we indeed live in interesting times!

The supervisor awards were presented to Norbert Weber and Bill Thompson for long standing service and the registrar's nomination awards went to Chris Jambor and Debbie Kors. We also presented Peter McMahon with an award from 2009 as he had not been present to accept at that time.

Congratulations to all of our winners. And a special mention to Deb who we now know also went on to win GPET Supervisor of the Year Award 2010. Thank you to everyone who came and contributed - you are of course the experts. Thanks also to Neil, Bruce and Jennah from NCGPT for ensuring that the weekend ran smoothly.
 

Christine Ahern

RRIPS and GPRIPS Payments

A reminder from GPET.

Registrars should be aware of the transition from the Registrars Rural Incentive Payments Scheme (RRIPS) to the General Practice Rural Incentives Program (GPRIP) from 1 July 2010.

The administration of incentive payments for registrars eligible for grandparenting will change from the second semester 2010. For training undertaken in semester 2 and onwards, registrars will no longer need to submit their ‘Claim for payment' forms to Medicare to receive their entitlement for any eligible training. A system of automated payments has been implemented, and Medicare will make the payments on the basis of the information provided by GPET. Bank details must still be lodged with Medicare.

In order to finalise payments for Semester 1, 2010 (and earlier) under the old administrative arrangements, 'Claim for Payment' forms must be submitted directly to Medicare by 3 December 2010. This is essential to ensure registrars eligible for grandparenting receive their correct entitlements under the new administrative process.

For further information, please contact you regional training provider, General Practice Education and Training on GPRIPAdministrator@gpet.com.au or the Department of Health and Ageing via the DoctorConnect website www.doctorconnect.gov.au
 

UpToDate subscriptions

This year NCGPT provided subsidised subscriptions to UpToDate to our registrars and supervisors who wished to take up the offer. For 2011 we will be providing GPT1 registrars with a 12 month subscription, and all other NCGPT registrars and accredited supervisors will be eligible for a 50% reimbursement of a one year subscription if they decide to take up the offer, or renew their current subscription.

Simply send us your receipt and we will reimburse you.

Any queries please contact  Rhonda O’Dell at NCGPT - rhondao@ncgpt.org.au .

Unsung Hero Award 2011 - entries now open

Many people work tirelessly for their community and make enormous contributions on local issues. Communities in rural and remote areas are much the richer for their contribution, yet often we don’t know who these people are. For this reason we call them Unsung Heroes - local people who work hard and expect little reward. The 2011 Unsung Hero Award round is now open and the winner will be announced at the 11th National Rural Health Conference.
 

Further information is available on the friends page of the Alliance website.