08 February 2023
All adults who have not had a COVID-19 booster or a confirmed case in the past six months can now get a 2023 booster – regardless of the number of prior doses received – to give them extra protection against severe illness from the virus.
The extra booster is not recommended for under 18s, except where children aged five to 17 have health conditions which would put them at risk of severe illness.
Bookings are available through the health Service Finder or use ‘Hey Eva’ – Easy Vaccine Access.
EVA, is a simple callback service to help people book a COVID-19 vaccine. If you need help making a COVID-19 vaccine booking, SMS ‘Hey EVA’ to 0481 611 382. A trained call agent from the National Coronavirus Helpline will call you to help book your COVID-19 vaccination.
Access COVID-19 booster vaccine advice
10 January 2023
Three GP-led Respiratory Clinics (GPRCs) will continue to operate across South Western Sydney until Tuesday, 28 February.
The clinics at Fairfield, Campbelltown and Mittagong have been testing patients for COVID-19 since May 2020. The clinics began delivering vaccinations in March 2021.
Last month, the Australian Government announced a new GPRC Panel (GPRCP) model will be implemented for activation during health emergencies to ensure sufficient surge capacity is in place to respond to future COVID-19 waves or any other respiratory health emergency.
Under the new panel arrangement, up to 150 existing, accredited GP clinics across Australia will be held in reserve to be activated as needed.
The government is in the process of recruiting practices.
The GPRCPs will begin operating in March this year.
06 January 2023
The Approach to Market (ATM) to establish the GP-led Respiratory Clinic Panel (GPRCP) has been listed on AusTender.
Overview – Why have a GPRCP?
- To ensure sufficient surge capacity is in place to respond to subsequent COVID-19 waves or any other future respiratory health emergencies, the GP-led Respiratory Clinic Panel will be implemented from March 2023
- Under this new panel arrangement, up to 150 existing, accredited primary care practices, which may include former GPRCs if they meet the standard criteria to participate, will be held in reserve to be activated as needed in response to the emergence of another COVID-19 wave or other major heath respiratory emergency
- During periods of activation, GPRCP participants will be provided access to a new MBS Item (bulk-billed) for each respiratory consultation (Upon activation, they will also be eligible to claim a Practice Incentive Payment (PIP) equivalent to their PIP QI payment per 3-month period)
- Participating clinics will be able to provide their usual services through standard MBS Items while activated, they will not be constrained to only providing services under the GPRCP
Key dates
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Activity
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Deadline
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Release of Request for Tender on AusTender
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Thursday, 5 January 2023
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Enquiry Cut-Off (including extension request) Date
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2pm Thursday, 19 January 2023
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Closing Time (for responses)
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2pm Thursday, 2 February 2023
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Commencement of Panel
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March 2023
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Registering on AusTender
The AusTender Help Desk is available between 9am and 5pm AEDT, Monday to Friday (excluding ACT and national public holidays).
Lodging a response
- Once registered, navigate to Current ATM View – Health/23/325151: AusTender (tenders.gov.au) – here you will find a link to the ‘ATM Documents’ and ‘Lodgement Page’
- Tenders must be lodged electronically via AusTender before the Closing Time (AEDT)
- If Tenderers need to lodge material that cannot be submitted via AusTender, Tenderers should contact the Contact Officer at email GPRC@health.gov.au prior to Closing Time to make arrangements for its submission.
- Where a Tender lodgement consists of multiple uploads, due to the number and/or size of the files, Tenderers must ensure that transmission of all files is completed and receipted before the Closing Time and clause 9.4 will only apply to the final upload.
- The Department will accept Tenders lodged in Microsoft Word 2003 (or above), or PDF format
- The Tender file name/s should:
- Incorporate the Tenderer’s company name; and
- Reflect the various parts of the bid they represent, where the Tender comprises multiple files.
- Tender response files should not exceed a combined file size of 5 megabytes per upload.
- Tenders must be completely self-contained. No hyperlinked or other material may be incorporated by reference.
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For further information or assistance, please email the team at GPRC@health.gov.au.
19 December 2022
Picton’s GP Respiratory Clinic (GPRC) will close on Saturday, 31 December.
The Department of Health and Aged Care (DHAC) has extended the contracts of South Western Sydney’s remaining three GPRC’s – at Fairfield, Campbelltown and Mittagong – until Tuesday, 28 February 2023 when the current operational model will end.
13 December
The Australian Government has provided the following important update for general practice about GP Respiratory Clinics following yesterday’s launch of the National COVID-19 Health Management Plan for 2023.
Key points:
- Up to 76 GPRCs will continue to operate until 28 February 2023 but some will close
- From March 2023, a new GPRC Panel model will be implemented for activation during health emergencies
- Clinics interested in participating in the GPRC Panel model should register directly on AusTender to receive notifications
In a continuing scale down of the GP Respiratory Clinic (GPRC) program, the government has approved an operational extension for up to 76 clinics until 28 February 2023. However, this also means some clinics will close at the end of December.
This will be the final operational extension of GP Respiratory Clinics under the current operational model, with the program ending on 28 February 2023.
From March 2023, a new GPRC Panel model will be implemented for activation during health emergencies.
Existing accredited general practices will be selected for the GPRC Panel through an approach to market which will be released on AusTender in January and may include existing GPRCs if they are able to meet the relevant criteria.
The DHAC will provide more advice to potential GPRC Panel participants shortly but for now, any interested clinic should register directly on AusTender to receive notifications.
Current GPRCs which will be extended, will be offered Deeds of Variation in the coming days and will need to decide if they wish to continue given changes to the contract, which include:
- Cessation of funding for functions including in-reach on 31 December 2022
- Cessation of access to PPE and RATs from the Commonwealth
GPRCs not being offered extensions will also be notified shortly. A final list of operational GPRCs will be provided once variations are executed.
Access the GPRC clinic finder
13 December 2022
As of Sunday, 1 January 2023, changes to PCR testing for COVID-19 will come into effect.
PCR tests will remain free for everyone who needs them.
People at high risk of COVID-19 can access tests free through state testing sites and GP-led Respiratory Clinics without a GP referral.
This includes: older Australians; First Nations people; people with disability; people from culturally and linguistically diverse communities; people living in remote communities; people with complex underlying health conditions; and the immunocompromised.
Those considered low risk, can get a bulk billed PCR test from a private pathologist with a referral from a GP or nurse practitioner.
The Federal Government has developed a factsheet outlining the changes.
Download the factsheet
13 December 2022
The Australian Government has provided the following important update for general practice about PPE following yesterday’s launch of the National COVID-19 Health Management Plan for 2023.
Key points:
- The distribution of PPE through Living with COVID funding will cease on 31 December 2022
- Healthcare providers should lodge final orders by COB on Wednesday, 14 December 2022
- Hand sanitiser will not be provided as part of a PPE order as stock has depleted
All Living with COVID (LWC) measures scheduled to cease on 31 December 2022 have been reviewed.
As part of this review, the government has confirmed the distribution of PPE through the Living with COVID funding will cease on 31 December 2022. There will be no further extensions. The Department of Health and Aged Care’s (DHAC) contract with DHL for the distribution of PPE ceases on 31 December 2022 and no deliveries will be made after this date.
Due to the Christmas holidays and lead time for processing of orders, the last day for submission of orders to the department from PHNs is COB 15 December 2022. Therefore, general practices should lodge final orders by COB 14 December 2022 to allow one day for collation and submission by SWSPHN.
Please note the following:
- Practices should be ordering under ‘Living with COVID’ provision (excluding pharmacies and allied health)
- Practices are no longer obligated to order full LWC Bundles and are able to order specific PPE which is required by the practitioner
- If ordered, hand sanitiser will not be provided as stock has depleted
- The limit of up to 10 pulse oximeters per practice has been lifted. Eligible practices can order additional pulse oximeters
Some PPE distribution measures will continue, including support for Residential Aged Care Homes and Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services. More information about these measures will be provided by the end of December.
28 November 2022
GPs are encouraged to continue using the GP Home Commissioned Visits Program, which is set to end on 31 December.
The program facilitates home visits by GPs and practice nurses to patients who are managing COVID-19 at home. This includes home visits to patients residing in Residential Aged Care Homes, and people who are isolating at home as a close contact.
An antiviral pre-assessment form is available for use during these visits, to support timely access and safe administration of antiviral medication. It should be completed based on a discussion with the resident and/or the resident’s representative.
Antiviral pre-assessment form
This article appeared in Practice Pulse on Wednesday, 23 November 2022. If you are a GP, practice nurse or practice manager in South Western Sydney and do not get the weekly Practice Pulse email, speak to your Practice Support Officer.
15 November 2022
In March, St Vincents Hospital opened a Post-Acute and Long COVID Clinic. This clinic services multiple areas including South Western Sydney.
Referrals can be made by any out of area GP/Allied health clinician if there are no clinics available in the patient’s area. Strict referral criteria are outlined in the link below under the Long COVID Outpatients Clinic tab.
Allied health and GPs can also request a clinician to clinician contact for guidance and resources, by emailing the referral line and stating clinician to clinician contact request.
Referral Line: svhs.longcovid@svha.org.au
Referral Criteria and Clinic Information: www.svhs.org.au/patients-visitors/covid-19
04 November 2022
GPs are encouraged to continue using the GP Home Commissioned Visits Program, which is set to end on 31 December.
The program facilitates home visits by GPs and practice nurses to patients who are managing COVID-19 at home. This includes home visits to patients residing in Residential Aged Care Homes, and people who are isolating at home as a close contact.
A new antiviral pre-assessment form is now available for use during these visits, to support timely access and safe administration of antiviral medication. It should be completed based on a discussion with the resident and/or the resident’s representative.
This article appeared in Practice Pulse on Wednesday, 2 November 2022. If you are a GP, practice nurse or practice manager in South Western Sydney and do not get the weekly Practice Pulse email, speak to your Practice Support Officer.
04 November 2022
Grants of $10,000 for a two-month period (November and December 2022) are available to support general practices and pharmacies to ensure continuity of COVID-19 vaccinations for vulnerable groups and increase health literacy among vaccine hesitant patients.
SWSPHN is facilitating the small grants program which aims to provide GPs with extra time for conversations with people from the vulnerable groups during routine appointments, and/or vaccinating people from vulnerable groups. The conversations must include information about COVID-19 vaccination and benefits for the patient.
Find out more, including FAQs on HealthChat
This article appeared in Practice Pulse on Wednesday, 2 November 2022. If you are a GP, practice nurse or practice manager in South Western Sydney and do not get the weekly Practice Pulse email, speak to your Practice Support Officer.
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