GP Program Advisors

Dr Deb Harley and Dr Michael Homewood

Program officer

Margaret Dempsey, 5229 1922

Palliative Care Seminar 2009

The Palliative Care Seminar 2009 was held at Empire Grill Restaurant on 5 October 2009.

Almost 70 participants, including more than 30 General Practitioners along with members from Specialist Palliative Care, Renal and Allied Health Services participated in an education session titled, ‘Flushing out the Dilemmas of Renal Disease’.

Case presentations by Dr Ric Milner and Dr Rob Roebuck highlighted issues facing GPs regarding renal patients requiring a palliative approach. Jill Mann from Barwon Health’s Respecting Patient Choices Program provided an overview of the Advance Care Planning process.

An expert panel comprising Dr Christine Somerville, Dr David Kerr, Dr Joe Black and Renal NUM Richard Knight provided the audience with information and advice based on their relevant professional expertise.

As usual, there was the opportunity for audience participation and discussion surrounding current practices and future improvements. Evaluations revealed a high level of satisfaction from the educational content and the networking opportunities that this forum provides.

Preparations are well underway for the 2010 Palliative Care Seminar which focuses on patients diagnosed with brain tumour. Discussion will include social and financial stresses involved; accomodation options when remaining at home is no longer a choice; GP management and support for these patients and their carers.
Save the date for this event:  Thursday 14th October 2010

Quicklinks

Genitourinary Tumour Stream: Prostate Cancer; A Guide to Consistent Cancer Care

Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre Referral Portal

Palliative Care Information Guide

Opioid Conversion Chart

Palliation from the Doctors bag

Gold Standards Framework Prognostic Indicators Guide

CareSearch:  Resources for GPs

The CareSearch  website is an online resource of palliative care information and evidence. All materials included in this website are reviewed for quality and relevance.
To access the CareSearch GP support section, click here

Bereavement Resources for Carers

This information has been provided to be of help at what can be a very difficult time.

The information pack (click here for complete pack) contains:

1. Bereavement resources
2. Who to notify checklist
3. To whom it may concern letter
4. Guidelines to assist with writing a eulogy

Bereavement Guidelines for General Practice &  Residential Aged Care Facilities

Barwon Health - Respecting Patient Choices Program

Families and health care workers are often required to make medical decisions without knowing
a patient's preferences. In order to address this, Barwon Health has implemented the Respecting Patient Choices program.

A key aim of the program is to identify patient wishes regarding their health care, particularly around end-of-life issues, and document these in an advance care plan.

Respecting Patient Choices program – click here

Advance Care Planning Guide – click here

Program summary

The Cancer and Palliative Care Program was first established in June 1995.

Program aim

• Improve GP knowledge and management in cancer and palliative care and to support GPs working in this area
• Promote 'Best Practice' screening, prevention, early diagnosis and treatment of cancers in a General Practice setting
• Promote shared care with emphasis on a multidisciplinary team approach
• Improve links between GPs, consultants and other service providers in cancer and palliative care.

Strategies:

• Oncology Supervised Clinical Attachment Program - RACGP paperwork
• Palliative Care Supervised Clinical Attachment program - RACGP paperwork
• General Practitioners representation at Specialist Oncology Clinics
• Involvement in weekly Multidisciplinary meetings (case conference proforma)
• Develop links with other service providers in cancer care
• Small Group Learning for Palliative roster GPs - RACGP paperwork
• Annual Palliative Care Seminar
• GP Palliative Care Liaison Role - established in 2008, this role facilitates and supports communication between GPs and specialist palliative care providers, to ensure the provision of quality palliative care services in the region.
• Involvement in screening programs - Cervical Screening, Breast Screen, Bowel Screen

Rural Palliative Care Project

The GP Association of Geelong, supported by the Australian General Practice Network (AGPN) with funding from the Department of Health and Ageing (DoHA), has received a grant to implement the Rural Palliative Care Project into general practices within the division’s boundaries, including the rural catchment areas of the Bellarine Peninsula, Surfcoast Shire and Bannockburn. For more information click here

Information for General Practitioners & Health Care Workers click here
Information for Patients click here

MBS Link
GP Management Plan/ Team Care Arrangement Cancer & Palliative Care Template -MD2 or MD3/BP

Links to other websites

Cancer Council Victoria
The Cancer Council Australia
Sunsmart
Quit
Papscreen Victoria

National Bowel Screening program:
website
about the program (PDF)

National Cervical Screening Program
NHMRC Guidelines
Palliative Care Victoria
Palliative Care Australia
Cancer Initiatives in Victoria
National Breast and Ovarian Cancer Centre
Australian Palliative Care Conference 2009
Myeloma Foundation of Victoria
Cancer Screening
CareSearch
Palliative Care for GPs
Leukaemia Foundation of Australia
Leukaemia Research Foundation
Cancer Information Network
Cancer Fact sheets

Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre Referral Portal

Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre has introduced a web portal containing GP referral information for the Specialist Clinics, on the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre internet.  These guidelines were developed with funding from the Western and Central Melbourne Integrated Cancer Service (WCMICS).

To access the GP and Specialist Referring portal click here.

Guidelines have been developed for clinicians in all of the 11 cancer specialties at Peter MacCallum to assist with coordination of patient care.

The web site currently contains:
v general details for each specialty with  names of attending clinicians
v the requirements for each referral
v suggestions regarding when to refer and who to contact for advice
v day and times for all Peter Mac sites for specialist clinics and radiation services
v clinic roster for PeterMac East Melbourne
v urgency categories
v information for rural clinicians regarding accommodation and transport
v links to site maps
v referral template
v referral forms for PET scans for adults and children

We hope you make use of this site and use our feedback template to help us make continual improvements.