A great day at Dargaville

Thank you to the attendees, at the Dargaville hosted Northland GP symposium held last month, for submitting images of their past times. We have creative, fit and interesting GP's who clearly enjoy the benefits of living in Northland. Medical projects and post-graduate ideas were shared with encouragement to consider remote medical relief. For those feeling inspired University links have been made available on the website for Otago and Auckland post-graduate studies. A fitting tribute to Dargavilles late Dr Matich opened the symposium where Northland GP's were challenged to step up into leadership roles. Training is available via the DHB for interested members. As well as introducing the valued role of a clinical pharmacist facilitator, the Fusion Centre was introduced as a unique Northland information sharing forum, about patients and communities of concern, that GP's can contact and be contacted by. There was discussion around neighbourhood health homes as well as frustrations about bowel cancer screening plus simplification of new Hep C treatment regimes found in clinical pathways. Again the registrars presented thorough audits to challenge our prescribing. There was a great show of support from Dargaville medical staff, only out shone by the fabulous food from local caterer 'Kim's Cuisine'. Gifts for the speakers were purchased from the Dargaville museum. Suggestions of local Northland venues for future symposiums will be gratefully received. Moving away from corporate venues means that we can provide low cost CME, support local organisations and enjoy dessert!! Presentations are available through this link and photos of GP's hobbies are available on our website. Don't forget to save the date for our May conference and AGM in Russell - 20th May 2017, see you there.

Update to symposium programme

The programme for the symposium has been updated as below. Looking forward to seeing you all in Dargaville!

0900 Registration
0915: Steve Thrupp: opening address
0920: Vanessa Blair: Northland Homegrown surgeon 'Controversies in
Breast and Bowel Cancer Screening'
0940: Registrar 1 audit presentation Ang Liu 'Hepatitis B
Screening'
0950: Registrar 2 audit presentation Sophie Hiesling 'Dabigatran
monitoring'
1000 Morning tea
1030: Tania Papalii: Suicide Prevention Coordinator
Kaiwhakamanawaroa – Programme Lead, Resiliance 'Information sharing'
1045: Nick Chamberlain: 'Time with Nick'
1100: Andrew Miller: 'Neighbourhood Health Homes'
1115: Kathy Bakke: 'The US Comparison'
1130: Panel discussion 'Models of care'
1150: Registrar audit presentation 3 Beth Robertson 'Chronic care
management tool'
1200 Lunch
1300: Kaye Logan Hepatitis C antiviral prescribing in general
practice
1340: Conlin Locke: 'Fluoridation programme at Raumanga Medical
Centre'
1355: Norma Nehren: 'Aviation Medicine in GP'
1410: Kyle Eggleton: 'Fighting the fat: A Kaupapa Māori weight loss
programme'
1425: Panel discussion 'Projects, postgraduate work and
sabbaticals'
1440: Drs Bev and Neil Hopkins 'The Last Say'
1500 Finish

Homegrown GP Symposium

Hello all!

Dargaville is hosting our faculty symposium at their delightful museum conference room.

This year you will see on the registration form, http://www.northland-rnzcgp.org/dargaville-symposium-2016, a request for your out-of-medicine interests.

Closer to the date we will ask for a photo of that activity to share at the symposium.

This is in the spirit of collegiality with a touch of competitiveness as there will be prizes! Look forward to seeing you there!

Dr Tanya Quin and the Board.

Fantastic inaugural Kapa Kaiaka event

Fifteen GP registrars and new GPs recently attended a 'Speed Dating Skills Session' run by the Northland Faculty. Attendees were taught a range of skills by a number of experienced GPs including punch biopsy techniques, cortisone injections around the wrist, joint injections, removing foreign bodies from eyes and removing fish hooks from places that they shouldn't be! This was a fantastic session organised by Gabby Montgomery, the Northland Faculty Kapa Kaiaka Coordinator. More sessions are planned for the future. For GP registrars and new Fellows wishing to enter into a mentoring relationship with more experienced GPs, through the Kapa Kaiaka programme, please contact Gabby. More information on the Kapa Kaiaka programme is available on this link

The next education session planned by the Faculty is the 'Homegrown' GP symposium held on the 15th October at Dargaville. Registrations for this event are now open on the Faculty website.

Reminder of speed dating skills session

What

This is a reminder about the Kapa Kaiaka 'speed dating' skills session. This is session aimed at new GPs and GP registrars. The session involves attendees moving around tables in groups of 2 or 3 and been taught a particular skill by a GP with a special interest.

Stations are:

Station One: Mirena insertion/FB eye removal
Station Two: Carpal tunnel/trigger finger treatment
Station Three: Punch biopsy/skin tag removal
Station Four: Joint aspiration and injection
Station Five: Toenail wedge resection. Local anaesthetic tips and trick

When

4th August 6pm-8pm. 6pm drinks and nibbles. 6.30 - 8pm skills stations

Where

Manaia PHO, Ratu room.

How to register

Please email Gabby Montgomery, Kapa Kaiaka Coordinator

Kapa Kaiaka 'speed dating' skills session

The Northland Faculty is pleased to announce a Kapa Kaiaka medical education session - 'Speed dating' skills session

When

4th August 6pm-8pm. 6pm drinks and nibbles. 6.30 - 8pm skills stations

Where

Manaia PHO, Ratu room.

What

A 'speed dating' skills session. Consists of a number of tables around a big room with attendees moving around the tables in groups of 2 or 3. At each table is a GP that is willing to do a bit of an update on a special skill for 15min.

Indicative stations are:

Station One: Mirena insertion/FB eye removal
Station Two: Carpal tunnel/trigger finger treatment
Station Three: Punch biopsy/skin tag removal
Station Four: Joint aspiration and injection
Station Five: Toenail wedge resection. Local anaesthetic tips and trick

Who

Aimed at GP registrars and new GPs

How to register

Please email Gabby Montgomery, Kapa Kaiaka Coordinator

Reminder of the Russell Conference

Just a reminder to register for the Russell Conference. This will be on the 21st and 22nd of May at the Duke of Marlborough Hotel. We are expecting another successful conference. Topics include neurology updates, a discussion on the link between rheumatic fever and rotten teeth, plastic surgical tips, orthopaedic tips for GPs, physician assisted dying, breast cancer management and working as a doctor in the Third World. In addition we are holding a medical student poster competition again.

The full programme, speakers and registration details are found on this link.

Register now!

Faculty Board Meeting 24th February

The Faculty Board met on the 24th of February. The minutes from this meeting can be found here. Matters of interest include clinical pathway development and workforce development.

One of the issues that the Board discussed was around mentoring of GPEP2 registrars. The Board is developing a programme called Kapa Kaiaka to mentor GP registrars (from their 2nd year onwards). This programme is intended to encourage and support young doctors developing their career in general practice. We are short of potential mentors in Whangarei. If you are a GP with Fellowship who wouldn't mind giving up about 1h of your time 3-4 times per year to support a GP early in their career then could you please contact our Kapa Kaiaka coordinator Gabby Montgomery

Upcoming events...

Keep May 21 and 22 free in your diaries for the annual Northland Faculty RNZCGP Russell Conference. Speakers this year include Murray Beagley, Usha Shan, Barry Snow, Clair Mills, Lyndon Bradley and Jack Havill. More details will follow over the next few weeks.

Other events on around Northland in the next few months include Suicide Prevention Workshops held at Dargaville on March 12 and Rawene on March 11. These workshops are hosted by the Rural Health Alliance and have CPD points attached.

National Advisory Council Meeting

Chris Reid is the Northland Faculty representative sitting on the National Advisory Council (NAC) of the RNZCGP. The NAC met recently and the following is Chris's report.

  1. The college now has new premises. These are very nice with a visitors area (with wifi available). College members are welcome to call in if in Wellington.
  2. Faculties are encouraged to spend their money and not accumulate funds. Some examples that the college suggests are that faculties:
    • Fund members to attend College conference, fund trainers to attend education events, fund medical students and registrars to attend conference and symposium.
    • Director and governance training through the Institute of Directors)
    • Prizes
    • Research
    • Promotional material/media to attract GP’s
  3. College will continue to keep close eye on the new ACC/urgent care contract and ensure that the generalist role of GP's is not undermined.
  4. Faculties are encouraged to promote Kapa Kaiaka. Some suggestions include looking at a patron for registrar training (similar to police training).
  5. The New Zealand Health Strategy was discussed and members are encouraged to give feedback to College for their submission.
  6. IT - the current legislation allows sharing of clinical records based on patients signing their enrolment registration. All PHO’s were advised on the template. However Graeme Osborne (National IT health board) acknowledges more clarity needs to be given.
  7. College to be invited to participate (and/or receive minutes) of Northland training plan (for undergrads to registrars).

Waitangi Symposium Summary

Northland GP Registrars Alex McLeod and Steven Thrupp reminded the 50 delegates attending the Waitangi Symposium the sharp benefit of a good audit in General Practice. The future of Northland specialists is positive with Joseph Foote and Lyndon Bradley delivering concise 'GP friendly' presentations on personality disorders and hips respectively. Chronic Kidney disease take home messages were refreshed by Walaa Saweirs while Chappie shared his experiences with the 'stem cell revolution'.

Delegates may view their reception areas differently following qualitative research derived from patients drawings, presented by Kyle Eggleton and the newly formed Rural SLAT introduced their role, generating interest as to how this groups decisions will develop over time.

The political panel of Nick Chamberlain, Rose Lightfoot, Mary Carthew and Aniva Lawrence was bolstered by the presence of the college CEO, Helen Morgan-Banda. Integration and workforce sustatinability were common themes with the drop in registrar numbers causing particular concern.

The Northland Faculty of General Practice will follow up issues raised during the symposium and invite members to further contribute their views on our members forum 3 chillies.

Final Symposium Reminder

This is a reminder that our Faculty is holding its annual Symposium this Saturday. The link to the programme is here. The RNZCGP College CEO, Helen Morgan-Banda will be joining our political panel session to discuss the future of general practice. The rest of the programme will include a vareity of CME sessions presented by local specialists and GPs. In addition two Northland GP registrars will be presenting the results of audits that they undertook in their general practices.

Come and support your Faculty, engage in discussion, help debate the future of general practice and most importantly enjoy collegiality with your Northland GP colleagues by registering now!

Waitangi Symposium reminder

There are just under 2 weeks until the Northland Faculty Waitangi Symposium. At the symposium we have the following specialists giving brief overviews of relevant topics to general practice:

  • Walaa Saweirs will be discussing the latest management of renal impairment in primary care
  • Joseph Foote will present on the management of personality disorder and give some techniques on how to manage this difficult condition in general practice
  • Lyndon Bradley will outline the management of common hip complaints for both children and adults
  • Andrew Stacey is bringing his expertise as a Medical Advisor to the MAS to discuss how to avoid negative feedback and how to manage the media
  • Finally Peter Chapman-Smith will discuss the management of sexual dysfunction

Register now! by clicking this link