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Welcome To AWRGPN

"Helping your GP to help you"

The Albury Wodonga Regional GP Network, situated on the border of New South Wales and Victoria, provides general practice support services to its GP members.

News

Albury Wodonga Carer Accommodation Centre -

There has been a growing awareness of the need for carer accommodation in Albury Wodonga for more than a decade. Both local Rotary and Lions clubs independently looked at the problems facing patients, families and carers from outside areas attending the Albury and Wodonga Hospitals – sometimes for days and weeks at a time. Motel accommodation is expensive and not always ideal at a worrying time.

Now the growth of the Albury Wodonga Health Service, and the just announced Cancer Centre to be built on the Albury campus, has lent urgency to the need and the Zonta Club of Albury-Wodonga, the Rotary Club of Albury North and the Lions District 201V6 have come together in common cause with the Fight Cancer Foundation to make the dream a reality.

We need your help and support. Click here to find out how.

NEW HOTLINE FOR WOMEN WITH BREAST IMPLANTS -

The Gillard Government today announced a new hotline for women concerned about their breast implants.

The new service has been set up following concerns from France over PIP breast implants. While there is no evidence of increased rupture rates here in Australia, support is available for women who want more information. Click here for more details.

Clinical Supervision Workshops -

Do you have a supervisory role with students – nursing/medical/allied health?

The Hume Clinical Placement Network have organised a range of day workshops (Wodonga one is 9 Feb) targeted to health professionals that may already or would like to be involved in a supervisory role at their practice. The course is a basic introduction and covers all health professionals.

Registration is an online process only. No cost. Registration details and course information here.

Changes to Practice Nurse funding from January 2012 -

As of Jan 1st 2012 the MBS items for practice nurse services will no longer be able to be billed. The exceptions are chronic disease education and monitoring (10997) and the 4 year old Healthy Kids Check (10986).

The funding changes will support an expanded and enhanced role for nurses and allows practices to recieve funding for aspects of the PN role which have not previously been recognised by Medicare.

More information is available on the PN page under the resources tab, then under "Employing a PN"

Changes to National Immunisation Schedule & Related Payments -

25 November 2011 - On the 25^th November, the Commonwealth announced multiple changes to immunisation in Australia, summarised below. (For frequently asked questions and answers, see Immunisation - Resources)

· Maternity Immunisation Allowance ($129) paid to parents of children fully immunised at 2 and 5 years - to be removed July 2012

· Family Tax Benefit A ($726/child) to be linked to immunisation ($726 is paid at the end of the financial year when parents submit their tax return. From July 2012, in the financial year that a child turns 1, 2 or 5 years of age, it will only be paid for that child if he/she is fully immunised, on a recognised catch-up schedule, or the parents have signed a confidentiality form.

· MMRV (Priorix-Tetra) to be given at 18 months of age instead of current Varicella vaccine (18 months) and MMR Dose 2 (4 years). MMR Dose 1 will still be given at 12 months of age – from July 2013.

· Meningococcal, pneumococcal and Varicella vaccines will all be required for a child to be considered fully immunised (they are currently not included in the assessments) – from July 2013.

· New whooping cough campaign to be implemented. The number of reported cases in Australia has risen from 4864 in 2007 to 34,785 in 2010.

Annual Financial Report 2010 - 2011 -

Attached is the Annual Financial Report for Financial Year 2010 - 2011. Click here to open the report.

Medicare Local Updates

Media Release - First Medicare Locals announced - Wednesday, 8 June 2011

Nicola Roxon has announced the organisations that will become the nations first Medicare Locals from 1 July 2011. read more

Medicare Local - After Hours responsibilities - Monday, 9 May 2011

The Department of Health and Ageing has developed guidelines for Medicare Locals outlining their repsonsibilities for after hours primary health care. A recent workshop held in Sydney enabled the Divisions of General Practice to discuss and provide comment on these guidelines. It is anticipated that the guidelines will be finalised prior to 1 July 2011 in time for the establishment of the first tranche of Medicare Locals. To view the draft guidelines click here.

Medicare Local Application submitted - Friday, 15 April 2011

The Hume Medicare Local application was submitted on 5th April. The first round of Medicare Locals are expected to be announced by 1st June 2011. Click here to view a copy of the application.

Proposed boundaries - Medicare Locals in Vic - Thursday, 6 January 2011

Information from the Board on Medicare Locals-November 2010 - Thursday, 6 January 2011

Federal Government Health Reforms (Your Health website) - Thursday, 6 January 2011