Is your cybersecurity up to date?


Network Members are reminded to talk to their tech support to ensure that appropriate measures are put into place to protect your practice’s PCs and servers following the weekend’s significant worldwide cyberattack involving malware distributed via email.

Those who clicked on the email link were infected with a virus that locked their PC and demanded a ransom payment to access the computer and files (see graphic above).

Microsoft and other providers have updated their software this week but users may need to carefully accept the updates onto their PCs or networks in order to gain the enhanced protection.

Single crewing to end with $59 million boost to ambulances, what about rural?

A $59 million funding injection for existing road ambulance services is a win but questions remain for areas without ambulance services, says Rural General Practice Network chair Sharon Hansen. (NZ Doctor – log-in required)

Ms Hansen says she will be waiting to see what the funding injection will mean on the ground, especially for rural areas.

Read more.

Budget 2017:

Double crewing for road ambulance

Budget 2017 invests an additional $59.2 million over four years to ensure all road ambulance call outs are double crewed.

Read more.

$60 million more for Pharmac

Budget 2017 invests an extra $60 million over four years to enable Pharmac to provide more New Zealanders with access to new medicines.

Read more.

Newly elected NZMA GP Council chair calls for a move away from VLCA

Read more.

eHealth ambassador calls for more funding for medicines management

Island Bay Medical Centre GP and eHealth ambassador Richard Medlicott is after more investment in medicines management in this year’s Budget. (NZ Doctor – log-in required)

Read more.

Ambulance needed: Central Otago GPs call for better St John service

GPs running an after-hours service in Central Otago fear a “clinical disaster” resulting from limited ambulance services. (NZ Doctor – log-in required)

The GPs have criticised services provided by St John, with just one ambulance available in Alexandra and none in Cromwell, 30km away.

Read more.

Navilluso recognised for outstanding hi-tech health services

One of New Zealand’s leading Maori health companies, Navilluso, has again been recognised for its enormous work helping people’s health all over New Zealand. (Scoop)

Navilluso won the highly recommended prize in the Kiwibank Hi-Tech Innovative Services category at a gala New Zealand Hi-Tech awards event in Auckland.

Read more.

Team work and talking critical components of new emergency training course

In 30 years of working as a rural GP, Hokianga Health’s Chris Todd says last week’s interprofessional postgraduate course at Ashburton Hospital was the first he’s been involved in where the focus was working as a team. (NZ Doctor – log-in required)

Read more.

Canterbury practices fail to agree on rural subsidy allocation

Canterbury’s alliance is heading back to the drawing board after its rural practices could not agree on a new funding formula to distribute the rural subsidy. (NZ Doctor – log-in required)

Canterbury Clinical Network’s chair of the rural funding group, Ian Town, says it called a halt to the process after it was unable to attain the required acceptance of 75 per cent of practices to approve a funding formula.

Read more.

Work begins on ground-breaking Kawakawa hospital rebuild

The Mid North's biggest health infrastructure project in decades, a re-build of Bay of Islands Hospital at Kawakawa and construction of a new medical centre, is officially under way. (Northern Advocate)

However, it's not just the scale of the project that sets it apart.

Read more.

Conference presentations online

Keynote and concurrent session conference presentations are now available online via the conference website.

Post keynote session interviews were done by Mobile Health. These can be viewed HERE.

To view conference photos follow the links: Option 1 or Option 2.

RNZCGP 2017 survey

The 2017 Workforce Survey is underway again and the RNZCGP (the College) is keen to get as many responses as possible. The information gathered helps the College to plan for workforce changes and provide information which can be used to draw public and political attention to the big issues confronting the sector.

For example, the 2016 survey showed that while shortages in rural areas are significant, the rural workforce has been boosted by an increase in 30-34 year old GPs. “This is probably a result of recent measures to encourage more training in rural practices with a goal of increasing the availability of GPs in rural areas. GP coverage in rural areas is further boosted by international medical graduates - half of our IMGs are working in these areas,” says Michael Thorn, the College’s manager of strategic policy.

The integrity of the data and information collected by Research New Zealand will be better with a larger number of respondents so don’t forget to take 10 minutes out of your busy day to complete it. If you haven’t received your individual link to the 2017 Workforce survey, email workforce@rnzcgp.org.nz And check out the nice prize for one lucky (random) respondent who returns the 2017 survey before Wednesday, 7 June, 2017 and goes in the draw to win your choice of either:

- Free registration for the 2017 College Conference and $300 towards travel costs, or
- A camera (Nikon D3300 Digital SLR with 18-55 and 55-200mm lens), or
- An iPad (Apple 9.7-inch Wi-Fi +cellular, 128GB), or
- An espresso coffee machine (Breville Barista Express BES870).

Waikato med school needed to fix 'dire' GP shortage

A solution to heartland New Zealand's GP crisis lies with its young people, a rural stalwart says. (Stuff)

Doctor David Srinivasagam has worked as a GP in Putaruru for the past 17 years and knows too well the difficulties of attracting doctors to rural communities.

He's one of only two permanent doctors serving more than 5500 patients across Putaruru and Tirau.

Read more

Med school bid: don't play politics

The Government's decision over a proposed Waikato medical school should be based on facts and not winning votes in an election year, the University of Otago says. (Otago Daily Times)

Vice-chancellor Prof Harlene Hayne said if the Government judged the merits of Waikato District Health Board and the University of Waikato's joint bid for a school on the evidence, it was clear it would be declined. What cannot happen is costly political reaction during an election year that won't actually solve anything.

Read more

Auckland University emails: what are they hiding?

Auckland University has handed over emails dissecting Waikato's proposed med school - but only after it was paid $570. (Waikato Times)

But the 132 pages of emails provided to Stuff under the Official Information Act give an incomplete picture of Auckland's manoeuvrings against its Waikato rivals, since an unknown number of emails were withheld and those that were provided had blocks of text blacked out.

Read more

Locum life transports young GP from Belgium to Ruatoria – via Guatemala

After nine years of medical training, Belgian GP Christophe Mortelmans decided to head off on some overseas experience before starting practice in his home country. (NZ Doctor – log-in required)

His first stop was Guatemala, where he spent six weeks volunteering. He’s not in Guatemala now. Last month, New Zealand Doctor caught up with 27-year-old Dr Mortelmans in the remote East Coast town of Ruatoria, where he was just starting his second day as a locum at the community health centre.

Read more

Labour gets an earful on primary care, makes positive noises on reform

A VLCA practice needing to cut services after years of deficits was one of many challenges shaping the arguments at Parliament recently in favour of reforming primary care funding. (NZ Doctor – log-in required)

Hutt Union Community Health Services chair Susan Iverson said somehow the local DHB has money for a cardiac operation on an over-80-year-old and "not for our service – I just don't understand".

Read more
ALSO see TVNZ report, RNZ and Stuff, NewsTalkZB Mike Hosking.

The Papa tour part of international GPs New Zealand Orientation


Five doctors from the USA, Canada, the Netherlands and the UK completed NZLocums’ May Orientation course in Wellington and have commenced work in various practices around rural New Zealand.

They are (pictured) Dr Keith Singh from Canada, who is working at Buller Health Centre on the South Island’s West Coast, Dr Bernard Van Drenth from the Netherlands who is at Taumarunui Medical Centre, Dr Karan Ghatora and Dr Rachna Patel from the UK who are working at Matamata Medical Centre and Dr Darrell Jebsen from the USA who is working at Avon Medical Centre, Stratford.

The Te Papa tour familiarises overseas GPs with various aspects of New Zealand’s culture including the Treaty of Waitangi, New Zealand’s native flora and fauna, the country's geology and geography, and its pre-European and European history.

The three-day Orientation course also covers various aspects of New Zealand’s health system including ACC, Pharmac and the tax system.

Nursing placements sought for Massey students

Massey University is seeking practice placements for third-year nursing students from its three New Zealand campuses at Albany, Palmerston North and Wellington.

“We have students who are very interested in regional and rural nursing placement opportunities for their nine-week pre-graduate placement, which usually starts around the last two weeks of July each year,” says Deborah Leuchars, Senior Professional Clinician/Clinical Manager, School of Nursing and College of Health at Massey.

Some students want to do their final pre-graduate placement either closer to home or in more remote areas of New Zealand, she says.

As third year students they are in their final clinical placement for their Bachelor of Nursing and have completed at least eight placements already. These have been in aged and residential care, primary health care, acute medical/surgical, both in wards and units, long-term conditions-chronic illness and rehabilitation wards and two placements in mental health; usually one in the community and one inpatient. Some will have also had paediatric/child health placements.

Massey’s BN programme gives students over 1200 hours, more than the required NCNZ 1100 clinical hours, says Ms Leuchars.

If your practice is interested in hosting a student please email Deborah Leuchars: D.A.Leuchars@massey.ac.nz

Harkness Fellowship 2018-19 nominations open

The Commonwealth Fund invites you to nominate a candidate for the 2018-19 New Zealand Harkness Fellowship in Health Care Policy and Practice. Established in 1925, the Harkness Fellowships were modeled after the Rhodes Scholarships and aim to produce the next generation of health policy leaders in participating countries.

While all interested applicants are welcome to apply, nominations are encouraged to identify potential applicants for this prestigious Fellowship program.

Please complete and email the nomination details below to ro@cmwf.org as soon as possible, and application materials will be emailed directly to your nominee.

- Candidate’s Name: - Candidate’s Job Title: - Organization: - Email:

Dutch medical student seeks rural NZ elective

Netherlands-based, final year medical student Annelies Overvliet is seeking a placement in a rural general practice willing to supervise her for a six-week internship in either August, September or October, 2017. Ideally Annelies would prefer a Dutch General Practitioner to work with because of their knowledge of the Dutch health care and medical school systems, although this is not essential. If your practice is interested please contact Annelies directly by email: annelies_overvliet@hotmail.com

Events

Health professionals urged to undertake asthma and COPD training

Respiratory disease continues to make a substantial contribution to New Zealand’s health burden.

The recently released Impact of Respiratory Disease in New Zealand: 2016 Update, commissioned by the Asthma and Respiratory Foundation NZ, reported that respiratory disease accounted for one in 10 overnight hospitalisations.

Over 521,000 people take medication for asthma, and over 35,000 New Zealanders are estimated to be living with severe COPD.

Due to the staggering statistics in New Zealand, the Foundation urges all registered health professionals to undertake training in Asthma and COPD.

The course aligns latest research with specific information for the New Zealand context, such as recently funded medications, treating Māori and Pacific peoples and best practice health literacy.

The course consists of two parts - an online e-Learning series and a classroom based MasterClass. The Asthma and COPD Fundamentals course awards a total of 19 Continuing Professional Development (CPD) hours. The e-Learning series is now available.

Visit cpd.whitireia.ac.nz to enrol. The first MasterClass will be available in June 2017.

Publications

Latest Network News, COMING SOON
RHAANZ newsletter, click here.
Division of Rural Hospital Medicine e-newsletter, click here.
Rural Women New Zealand, Bulletin Aotearoa, click here.
Health Workforce New Zealand stakeholder bulletin, click here.
IT Health Board newsletter, click here.
ALAC newsletter Ease Up, click here.
Mobile Health news, click here.
Medline (USA rural health) click here.
To access the PRIME St John website, click here.
PRIME Committee contacts, click here.
Medical Council News click here.

Out Now! Stories of birth, life and death on remote Great Barrier Island

Order from Fishpond at a special price of $33.12 here.

Not a member?
Join the Network!

The Network is the only nationwide membership-based organisation in New Zealand representing the interests of rural general practice.

Visit our website for additional information and an online application form or contact Rob Olsen on 021 472 556.

Testimonial

"NZLocums have been helpful and supportive from beginning to end. I would not have been confident about starting a locum post in New Zealand without their support."

Tony Pearson, GP, UK.

Remembering the 53 nurses who died in Christchurch earthquake

Nurses gathered at Christchurch's earthquake memorial wall to honour 53 colleagues killed in the 2011 earthquake. (Stuff)

New Zealand Nursing Organisation (NZNO) Canterbury regional council chair Cheryl Hanham and Christchurch Mayor Lianne Dalziel laid wreaths after the names of the nurses were read out and the group sang a waiata.

Three nurses read out poems selected for a poetry book to be published by the NZNO to raise the visibility of nurses.

Read more

BCFNZ launch digital support tool

Breast Cancer Foundation NZ (BCFNZ) wants to keep in touch with medical professionals around the country and provide you with information regarding services for people living with breast cancer, research projects they are funding and also sharing information about breast care developments. BCFNZ is delighted to introduce mybc - a free digital support and informational tool for all Kiwis (patients and supporters) affected by breast cancer. Visit https://www.mybc.care/ to find out more.

Infants must be enrolled with a GP within six weeks under proposed law change

All infants will have to be enrolled with a GP's practice before they are six weeks old under a bill to be debated by Parliament. (NZ Herald)

But the proposed law change is mostly a guide for doctors, rather than a compulsory measure for families of newborns.

Read more.

Quake coming on top of drought creates an ‘annus horribilis’ for Cheviot GP

When the home on her Cheviot farm was destroyed in last November’s earthquake, it came on top of years of drought, says GP Anthea Prentice. (NZ Doctor – log-in required)

Dr Prentice and husband Snip farm sheep and cattle on their property about a half-hour’s drive north of Cheviot on the Kaikoura coast.

Read more.

Maori nursing graduates living their dream

"Mum you don't want to be a receptionist forever" and "give me three years, and I will give you a life" are words that inspired Narelle Newdick to pursue a career in nursing. (NZ Herald)

Her son Zavia came up with the first pearls of wisdom after an educational visit to her local marae at Maketu - where lecturer Orana Harris said Narelle should consider changing direction and asked her what she had planned for the future.

Read more.

Over 6,900 more doctors and nurses in our hospitals

Health Minister Jonathan Coleman says a record number of doctors and nurses are working in DHBs across the country.

“Our dedicated health workforce is making a difference to the lives of New Zealanders. More doctors and nurses in our DHBs means faster treatment and better experiences for patients and their families,” says Dr Coleman.

Read more.
ALSO see Public hospital senior doctor numbers still too low

Trained to treat: why doctors treat the dying, even when they know it's futile

It's one of the many dilemmas doctors face: if a patient is dying, and you know treatment won't help, do you still treat anyway? (Stuff)

Professor Lindy Willmott, from the Australian Centre for Health Law Research, set out to discover why most doctors still do, even in a world where they, and their budgets, are under ever-growing strain.

Read more.

New national body to represent Rural Support Trusts

Minister for Primary Industries Nathan Guy has welcomed the election of a national body to represent all 14 Rural Support Trusts across the country.

“Rural Support Trusts do fantastic work supporting our rural communities in tough times, and this new central body will make them more efficient and effective,” says Mr Guy.

Read more.

Apology or not, will GPs be reassured on older doctors’ requirements?

The RNZCGP says it got an apology from the Medical Council’s board for the way a council consultation paper associated age and cognition. (NZ Doctor – log-on required)

The council says it provided “clarification”.

It all stems from the council raising the importance for older doctors of planning their withdrawal from clinical work and their transition into retirement, eg, considering changing their case mix or work locations.

Read more.

Events

TUANZ Rural Connectivity Symposium MEETS Emerging Tech in Health

Wellington’s Westpac Stadium will host two days of rural connectivity and health tech talk this month with an exciting line-up of speakers and topics.

Day one (Tuesday, May 23) features the TUANZ Rural Connectivity Symposium, while day two (Wednesday, May 24) features Emerging Tech in Health courtesy of NZ Health IT and Health Informatics NZ.

For more information on day one and to register click HERE. For more information on day two and to register click HERE.

University of Otago Rural Generalist CME Workshop

This workshop is aimed at generalist doctors who work in rural hospitals and/or rural general practice. Most speakers are regular speakers/tutors on the Postgraduate Diploma of Rural and Provincial Hospital Practice papers.

The format is practical case-based discussions centred around the complexity of managing some common presentations in a resource poor environment, providing updates on evidence-based practice applied to a rural and remote context. There will be a total of about 16 hours of workshop (16 MOPS points).

Part of the proceeds will go towards supporting colleagues in the Cook Islands to access CME.

Online registration is open. Early bird until June 14. Registration is limited to a maximum 24 delegates. Please see details here.

Location: Huka Falls Resort, Taupo
Dates: Thursday, August 31 to Friday, September 2
Topics include: Stroke/TIA, Rehabilitation in rural hospitals, Palliative care, Psychogeriatrics.

Clinicians Challenge 2017

It's Clinicians' Challenge time again, and you are encouraged to enter your most innovative idea for using IT to improve health care today or to transform tomorrow.

A key focus of this year’s challenge is ‘disruptive innovation’.

A previous example of disruptive innovation is the smart phone-based retinal camera developed by 2015 Clinicians’ Challenge winner Dr Hong Sheng Chiong. The camera attaches to a smart phone and helps optometrists perform eye exams for a very low cost in any location.

Entries close June 16, 2017. For more information or go to the Ministry of Health website.

Open your New Zealand bank account

The Network's official banking partner.

Resources

PRIME services review update, click HERE.

NZRGPN resources click HERE.

St John offers free tutorials for what to when somebody has a cardiac arrest.

Pharmac seminar series (new listings)

The seminar series provides high quality education covering a variety of topics, and caters to a range of health professionals. Click HERE to access the resource.