Hospital bedside teleconferencing introduced for better patient care

The Northern NSW Local Health District (NNSWLHD) has launched a new initiative involving bedside teleconferencing between hospital patients and their GP. NNSWLHD project officer Mel O’Reilly said it was crucial to improve continuity of care across the acute and primary care interface. ‘Many consumers of the public health system live with chronic health conditions, have

Direct Access Colonoscopy coming to the Hastings Macleay Clinical Network

Direct Access Colonoscopy will soon be available in the Hastings Macleay Clinical Network. The service is part of the Leading Better Value Care Direct Access Colonoscopy (DAC) project, which seeks to address challenges created by the demand for colonoscopy. Bowel cancer is the second most common cancer in Australia. Current estimates indicate one in 13

Voluntary Assisted Dying guidance added to HealthPathways

The Mid and North Coast HealthPathways team has launched a Voluntary Assisted Dying pathway in preparation for the Voluntary Assisted Dying Act, which comes into effect later this year. Passed on 19 May 2022, the Act takes effect from 28 November 2023 following an 18-month implementation period. It will allow eligible people to access voluntary

Coffs Harbour included in new mental health funding announcement

Healthy North Coast has welcomed the recent announcement of new mental health service funding and the planned establishment of a Coffs Harbour Head to Health service. Head to Health services are designed to be set up in convenient, central locations and to help to increase access to free mental health support for people over 18.

Healthy North Coast launches 2023 Vaccination Campaign

With the flu season upon us, Healthy North Coast is keen to partner with local primary care providers and community organisations to get the word out about vaccination protection.   Back by popular demand and as part of our vaccination campaign launching this week, we have developed a new set of free posters as a

Calling general practices to participate in a COPD Trial

Clinicians are  invited to participate in the Activating Primary Care COPD Patients with Multimorbidity (APCOM) Trial. The APCOM Trial, funded by the Australian Government Medical Research Future Fund, is a primary health care implementation research study being conducted by Bond University, University of Queensland, UNSW Sydney, Woolcock Institute of Medical Research, University of Wollongong Australia, University of Sydney, Lung

New campaign targets childhood vaccination rates

The Australian Government has recently launched the ‘One more way you keep them safe’ campaign, encouraging parents and carers to ensure their children’s routine vaccinations are up to date. The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on global immunisation efforts, resulting in a backlog of missed vaccinations worldwide. Australia has a strong National Immunisation

MRI downtime at Coffs Harbour Health Campus

The MRI scanner at Coffs Harbour Health Campus is undergoing a major upgrade to provide faster, quieter and more detailed MRI imaging. The scanner was taken offline on 21 April for an estimated four-week period. During this time, multiple alternate pathways to limit the impact of the downtime have been tabled. Increased use of other

Supporting the health of the Eastern Dorrigo community

Healthy North Coast continues to support people living in the Eastern Dorrigo area, joining with community members this month to celebrate the second anniversary of Ulong’s Mountain Health Hub and its planned expansion. Along with Coffs Harbour City Council, TAFE NSW, NSW Health and Coffs Harbour’s Northside Health, Healthy North Coast has helped to coordinate

Interested in becoming an AGPAL Surveyor on the North Coast?

As part of a current NSW and ACT recruitment drive for GPs interested in becoming AGPAL Surveryors, comprehensive face-to-face training for successful GP applicants is being held Sydney on Friday 12 and Saturday 13 May. This face-to-face training supports GPs to gain in-depth knowledge of the surveyor assessment process and the RACGP Standards for general

Applications opening for the ‘Strengthening Medicare – GP Grants Program’

The Australian Government’s Department of Health and Aged Care has announced that Primary Health Networks will begin administering the Strengthening Medicare — General Practice Grants Program this week, and Healthy North Coast is pleased to support eligible local general practices in applying for the one-off grant of $25,000, $35,000 or $50,000. If you are a

New ‘quit smoking’ resources for primary health care nurses

Quit Centre, a federally funded, national online resource for stopping smoking and vaping, has recently released new online training and resources specifically for primary health care nurses. Quit Centre’s ‘Smoking Cessation Brief Advice Training for Primary Health Care Nurses’, developed in consultation with primary health care nurses, supports the development of knowledge and skills to confidently provide