‘First request patient information guide’ released for voluntary assisted dying
The NSW Ministry of Health has arranged for the Voluntary Assisted Dying First Request Patient Information Guide to be printed and made available to health professionals. This guide outlines the background to voluntary assisted dying and the eligibility criteria. It has information about the voluntary assisted dying process for patients who have made a first
North Coast leads the way with state-first HealthPathway to tackle youth vaping crisis
In response to the escalating issue of vaping in youth, Mid and North Coast HealthPathways has recently written and published the Vaping in Youth pathway to assist primary health practitioners navigate the problem with their patients. Off the back of efforts by the North Coast Youth Vaping Taskforce, Dr Grace Leung was tasked with developing the definitive
Healthy North Coast welcomes two new members to the Board
Message from Dr Adrian Gilliland, Chair of Healthy North Coast: Following our recent AGM, I would like to welcome two new Board Directors, Professor Myfanwy Maple and Clinical Associate Professor Rashmi Sharma. Dr Myfanwy Maple Dr Myfanwy Maple is based on the Mid North Coast of NSW. She has over 20 years of experience
Addition of midwives and paramedics to the Workforce Incentive Program – Practice Stream
The Department of Health and Aged Care’s Workforce Incentive Program – Practice Stream (WIP – PS) provides financial incentives of up to $130,000 per practice per year to help eligible general practices with the cost of engaging nurses, allied health professionals, and/or Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health practitioners and health workers. Through the October
Dr Adrian Gilliland presents UNSW Graduates with academic awards of excellence
On 24 November 2023, Coffs Harbour UNSW medical students graduated in a ceremony held at Pacific Bay Resort. Dr Adrian Gilliland, Healthy North Coast’s Board Chair, presented two awards: Ph3 Primary Care – Academic Excellence awarded to Lisa Hobelt, sponsored by Mid North Coast Division of General Practice Ph3 Primary Care – Clinical Excellence and
Pertussis cases increase on NSW North Coast
There are increasing cases of pertussis (‘whooping cough’) on the NSW North Coast with 24 cases in November (73 so far for 2023), compared with only 12 during 2021 and 2022 combined. “We’re seeing a resurgence of pertussis on the North Coast following low case numbers during the COVID pandemic. It is important for GPs
Changes to NNSWLHD Admission and Discharge Notifications (ADNs)
Original article was published in July 2023 and has since been updated with new information. Update from Northern NSW Local Health District: Northern NSW LHD (NNSWLHD) is transitioning to the eHealth NSW State-wide Admission and Discharge Notification (ADN) service, scheduled to go live in the first quarter of 2024. The existing NNSWLHD ADN service –
Finish off the year strong by registering for Provider Connect Australia
As the end of year approaches, there’s an efficient way to update the business details of GPs and other healthcare providers moving in and out of your practice. The free Provider Connect Australia™ (also known as PCA™), an initiative of the Australian Digital Health Agency (the Agency), provides a single place to update your business
Office hours for the holiday season
From all of us at Healthy North Coast, we wish you a safe and joyful holiday season. Our offices will be closed from 5pm on Friday 22 December 2023 and will reopen at 9am on Tuesday 2 January 2024. For any enquiries, you can still reach us by email on contact@hnc.org.au, which will be monitored
Invitation to complete survey – review of General Practice Incentive programs
The Reform of General Practice Incentives was announced in the 2023-24 Budget. An Expert Advisory Panel has been established to oversee the review and make recommendations on short, medium and long term actions. The project responds to the Strengthening Medicare report which recommended the reform of primary care funding, including: that general practice be supported
North Coast Care finder organisations meet to support vulnerable older people
Care finder staff from organisations across the North Coast recently met in Coffs Harbour to discuss how to improve services, learn from each other and undertake training in trauma-informed care. Care finders are a commissioned service through Healthy North Coast to support vulnerable older people who would not be able to arrange services without intensive
Encourage your patients to get vaccinated before travelling these holidays
The end of the year is fast approaching, which means a lot of Australians are travelling overseas. While we have high levels of vaccination coverage, we can still get exposed to serious diseases while visiting other countries. Before heading overseas these holidays, we are asking Australians to add vaccinations to their travel checklist. This
