Northern Queensland Primary Health Network (NQPHN) is collaborating with the region’s vaccinating general practices and pharmacies on the Vaccine Works campaign, which focuses on the primary care sector’s highly successful role in increasing COVID-19 vaccination rates in North Queensland. Cairns West Medical Centre on Hoare Street has now administered more than 1,000 doses to the local community since coming on board this year as a COVID-19 vaccinating practice.

General Practitioner Dr Peter Vanrietvelde said his practice, which takes bookings and walk-ins, has been administering the Pfizer and AstraZeneca vaccines, with Moderna available soon to the public.

“We provide first and second shots, and now booster shots too, for anyone aged 12 and above,” Dr Vanrietvelde said.

“COVID-19 vaccination is an important program to inject optimism and a way out of the pandemic, allowing us to regain our freedoms.

“Vaccination has also been found to be both safe and effective.”

NQPHN Chief Executive Officer Robin Whyte praised Cairns West Medical Centre, and said the primary care sector is playing a key role in the ever-increasing rate of COVID-19 vaccinations across North Queensland.

“Our Vaccine Works campaign is about showcasing our local primary care providers for all the amazing work they’ve done over the past few months to improve COVID-19 vaccination rates in North Queensland and protect our community,” Ms Whyte said.

“Primary care plays a vital role in the national vaccination rollout program, as it has the capacity to vaccinate in a distributed model by offering place-based solutions in local communities.

“North Queensland, due to its geography, presents unique challenges and opportunities, and the incredible work of general practices and pharmacies in our region will help us reach our vaccination targets sooner rather than later.”

In North Queensland, there are currently 137 general practices, 106 pharmacies, 10 Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisations, and four GP-led Respiratory Clinics administering COVID-19 vaccines (Pfizer, AstraZeneca, and Moderna).

To book a COVID-19 vaccine appointment, including at Queensland Health clinics, people are encouraged to use the Australian Government’s official COVID-19 Vaccine Clinic Finder at https://covid-vaccine.healthdirect.gov.au

Hand hygiene compliance data for all healthcare workers is collected across three national audit periods each year and aggregated national data is reported on the Commission’s website. Individual hospital level data is published on the MyHospitals website by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. Hand hygiene compliance for medical practitioners has generally improved over the past five years. However, since 2016 the compliance rate for medical practitioners has remained below the national benchmark of 80 per cent.

This new statement highlights the importance of effective hand hygiene, infection prevention and control practices and the impact of these practices on reducing healthcare-associated infections and ensuring patient safety. The statement also provides medical practitioners with strategies they can use as clinical leaders to promote hand hygiene, infection prevention and control, and the prevention of healthcare-associated infections.

Thank you for the contribution many of you made to the development of the joint statement which has now been supported by the CPMC.

The Statement from the Council of Presidents of Medical Colleges (CPMC) and the Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care Hand Hygiene Compliance and Medical Practitioners has been published on the Commission’s website and is available at: www.safetyandquality.gov.au/ACSQHC-CPMC-handhygiene

QScript complements practitioner expertise by providing context, specifically around the patient’s history of monitored medicine prescriptions, which includes all Schedule 8 and some Schedule 4 medicines.

This information is augmented with alerts and notifications that identify potentially high-risk scenarios, such as unsafe medicine combinations. Healthcare providers can use this information to further discuss treatment options and safety, but clinical expertise is still paramount – QScript won’t prevent healthcare providers from prescribing or dispensing the medicines patients need.

QScript is secure. QScript contains information including patient names, addresses, and up-to-date information about previous monitored medicines they have received. The doctors, other prescribers and pharmacists involved in a patient’s care are the only healthcare providers authorised to access the patient’s record in QScript.  

Healthcare providers will have access to education and support as the system is implemented. A campaign is also underway across the state to ensure Queenslanders who use monitored medicines are aware of the changes and how it may affect conversations with their healthcare providers.

For more information on QScript and how it will affect both healthcare providers and patients, visit www.qld.gov.au/health/qscript

To access the QScript system including links to training and registration visit - https://www.qscript.health.qld.gov.au/

The purpose of the Nurse Practitioner 10 Year Plan (NP 10 Year Plan) is to describe a set of actions that can be taken to address nurse practitioner workforce issues of national significance and enhance the delivery of nursing care to the Australian community.

The Plan will include 1 to 3 year, 5 year, and 10 year goals. Development of the NP 10 Year Plan will occur concurrently with the development of the National Nursing Strategy, due to the critical role nurse practitioners play in broader nursing career pathways and health care outcomes for patients.

To inform the NP 10 Year Plan, the Department are seeking stakeholder views on the issues which may have an impact on the delivery of care by nurse practitioners and seeking suggestions on innovations to enhance the delivery of care. A consultation paper has been developed with background information about the current arrangements for nurse practitioners in Australia and to highlight some of the issues that have been raised by stakeholders to date. This paper, together with a survey, are available on the Department of Health’s Consultation Hub.

You are invited to provide feedback by completing the survey. Alternatively, you can provide a written submission to nursepolicy@health.gov.au. Submissions close on 20 December 2021.

The guidelines for monitoring hepatitis B have also been updated to recommend fibrosis assessment every 12 months.

The Ethnic Communities of Queensland (ECCQ) can help with:

• free Fibroscan for people from multicultural backgrounds who have been diagnosed with HBV or HCV including non-Medicare Card holders
• free GP resource packs with the latest hepatitis, HIV and STI guidelines, decision making tools, information, and referral forms
• free short lunch or morning/afternoon tea information session (light lunch or morning/afternoon teas will be provided)
• free translated resources to assist in the education of your patients
• free support and education for patients, their family and community by highly trained bi-lingual community health workers in multiple languages

The ASHM Decision Making in Hepatitis B - 2021 update document provides the latest updates, in addition to the resources on ECCQ's website.

If you would like more information or would like to refer a patient please see our webpage at www.eccq.com.au/bbv or contact Marrianne Black RN at ECCQ on (07) 3291 1214 or 0466 042 799 or email marrianneb@eccq.com.au