Pot-pourri eBulletin - 9 August 2024
Following our recent media release from the College noting grave concerns about Queensland children being detained in adult watchhouses, I recently spoke to Adam Stephen of ABC Far North Queensland’s Drive program regarding the confronting media footage. You can listen to the interview here (commencing at 2:05:40).
The latest Closing the Gap Annual Data Compilation Report (ADCR) released on the 31 July 2024, shows a concerning trend of increased rate of out-of-home care as well as detention in the criminal justice system for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and young adults. The RACP Health Care of Children in Care and Protection Services position statement calls on Federal, State and Territory governments, health providers and service providers to implement the systems-change required to address the health care needs of our most vulnerable children. Our associated RACP submission, from February 2024 to the Queensland Youth Justice Reform Select Committee regarding their Inquiry into Youth Justice Reform can also be read here.
I’d like to congratulate the following PCHD trainees who were selected to present their work to the Trainee Research Awards Symposium held at RACP Sydney on Friday, 26 July:
- Dr Ngaire Keenan (Aotearoa NZ)
- Dr James Lacey (TAS)
- Dr Emily Rice (WA)
- Dr Alice Rogers (SA)
- Dr Charlene Roufaeil (VIC)
- Dr Hannah Uebel (NSW/ACT)
- Dr Mathew Wong (QLD)
A special congratulations goes to Dr Keenan who was awarded Best Presenter (Paediatric Medicine category) for her presentation: Ethnic disparities in epilepsy: a population-based study of Māori and non-Māori-non-Pasifika children with epilepsy. To have the chance to be selected to present at the 2025 Symposium, applications are currently open, closing at 11.59 pm (AEST) on Saturday, 31 August 2024 – see the website for more details.
Nominations are now open for the Howard Williams Medal 2025. This award honours a paediatrician who has made an outstanding contribution to improving the health of children and young people in Australia and/or Aotearoa New Zealand. The Howard Williams Medal recipient will be invited to give an oration at the 2025 RACP Congress. You can find a list of all past recipients here. Nominations close COB Saturday, 31 August 2024.
On a personal note, I have had the great privilege to be nominated as one of the finalists for the Children’s Health Queensland Excellence Awards as the Health Hero of the Decade. This award recognises individuals whose service, dedication and commitment to excellence has played a significant role in establishing and supporting our Hospital and Health Service during its first decade of care. To be nominated for this award is such a surprise, and such a huge honour, and I am truly thankful.
In closing, I’d like to encourage members to attend the 18th Asia Pacific Congress of Pediatrics (APCP) to be held in Cebu, Philippines from 14 to 17 November 2024. The theme of the conference this year is Redesigning the horizon of Pediatric Healthcare in the Asia Pacific. Go to the APCP website for more details.
Professor Nitin Kapur
PCHD President
RACP advocacy win
Following advocacy from the Policy & Advocacy team and a handful of our paediatrician RACP members, “paediatricians” are now listed as health professionals who can provide best practice evidence of disability for several diagnostic conditions under the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS).
Flagging concerns with the team at the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) led to a quick update of the NDIS website, which now reflects the fact paediatricians provide best practice evidence of disability for multiple conditions including autism, cerebral palsy, intellectual disability, developmental delay, Down syndrome, psychosocial disability, and others.
Members of the Paediatrics and Child Health Division (PCHD), Australasian Society for Developmental Paediatrics (ASDP) and the Policy & Advocacy team then met with representatives from the NDIA in July 2024 to further discuss the important role that paediatricians play in diagnosing and managing diagnosable conditions.
The PCHD leadership and members of the Policy & Advocacy team are continuing discussions with the NDIA team regarding how paediatricians can best be involved and provide advice with the NDIS, including the implementation of the NDIS Review.
Several positions are available on PCHD committees, including Chair positions for the PCHD Policy & Advocacy Committee and PCHD Research Committee. Please consider applying for suitable positions and/or encouraging your colleagues. If you have any questions about any of the PCHD committee positions, please contact Paed@racp.edu.au.
All Expressions of Interest
Pharmaceutical Benefit Scheme – Opioids
Opioid PBS-subsidised authority approval medicines can be requested in real-time through the Online PBS Authorities system (the system) for quantities and/or repeats that provide up to three months treatment. This removes the need for you to call or submit a written application to Services Australia. The system makes it easier for you to request an authority approval from Services Australia by providing an immediate processing response, avoiding any postage delays and increased patient care.
Alternatively, you can request up to one month's treatment via telephone and up to three months treatment if submitting your request in writing (either via Health Professional Online Services (HPOS) form upload or by post). Telephone authority requests seeking treatment beyond one-month requests will not be approved.
To assist with the process, it is important to familiarise yourself with the relevant PBS restriction.
Flexible training policy updates to support your changing needs
Trainees have told us they have increasingly different needs, plans and demands on them during their training journey. We listened and worked with the College Trainees’ Committee to revise and improve our Flexible Training Policy.
The Policy outlines the flexible training options available and the alternative pathways trainees can take if they would like to adjust their training.
Read the Policy
Read the FAQs
Webinar on flexible and part time training
All trainees are invited to an informative webinar on Wednesday, 25 September 2024, hosted by the RACP NSW/ACT Trainees' Committee. This webinar will cover topics related to flexible and part-time training, featuring three speakers who will each present for 20 minutes, followed by a Q&A session.
The event aims to offer advice from experienced trainees on flexible training and job-sharing. These integral and often stressful aspects of a trainee's life will be addressed through discussions on available options, balancing work priorities, and setting reasonable expectations. Attendees will be better equipped for success and feel less alone in their journey.
Don't miss this opportunity to gain valuable insights and support for your training journey.
Register here
2024 Supervisor Voices Survey now open
Many of you have told us about the growing pressures on supervisors, including increasing workloads and reduced capacity to fulfil supervisory roles.
It’s crucial we have a robust evidence base about your current challenges, support needs, and advocacy priorities. We invite all supervisors to add their voices through our dedicated Supervisor Voices Survey.
Supporting our supervisors’ vital work
If you are a supervisor or educational leader, please take 5-10 minutes to complete this survey. Your feedback will inform updates to our services and prioritise advocacy efforts aimed at better supporting you.
As we prepare to implement our new curricula to train the next generation of physicians, gathering feedback on supervisor workload, wellbeing, and support needs is crucial.
More details can be found on the Supervisor Voices Survey page of the RACP website.
Responses are anonymous and will only be used for quality improvement.
If you have any queries, please email memberservices@racp.edu.au
2024 Medical Training Survey now open
If you are a current RACP trainee, do not miss the opportunity to have your voice heard by providing feedback in the Medical Board of Australia’s 2024 Medical Training Survey (MTS). Your experiences will help enhance education and training for you and other trainees.
The MTS is now live and open until early October. All doctors-in-training in Australia, including RACP trainees, are eligible and encouraged to participate. This year’s survey will build on past results and help our College monitor trends in training experiences over time, including comparisons between Basic and Advanced Trainees. Last year’s MTS showed overall satisfaction with workplace training but raised concerns about high workloads, workplace culture, and access to flexible working arrangements.
The RACP will use the 2024 survey findings to:
- improve training settings by addressing potential concerns with local leaders
- recognise high-performing settings with excellent clinical supervision and satisfaction
- inform systemic changes to improve physician training and medical culture.
About the Medical Training Survey
The MTS is a national survey of all doctors-in-training in Australia, independently administered by EY Sweeney. Only de-identified data will be provided to Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (Ahpra) and the Medical Board of Australia. Results will be made publicly available via online summary reports later this year and an interactive reporting dashboard early next year.
A survey link will be provided to trainees once they renew their medical registration with Ahpra. Further details can be found by visiting the website. If you have questions regarding the MTS, please email MTS@ahpra.gov.au.
The Specialist Training Program (STP) Survey – we welcome your feedback
The Department of Health and Aged Care has commissioned Proximity Advisory Services to undertake an independent evaluation of the Specialist Training Program (STP).
As part of this initiative, you are invited to participate in a survey to assess the implementation, appropriateness, and effectiveness of its component programs.
At the end of the survey, you are invited to provide your name and contact details if you would like to be interviewed as part of the project. Interviews of up to one hour with small groups of survey respondents will take place in August 2024.
The survey will take approximately 10 minutes to complete and will close on Friday, 16 August 2024. If you have any questions or feedback, please email MSTSEvaluations@health.gov.au
The Specialist Training Program (STP) provides government funding to trainee specialists in training positions outside traditional metropolitan teaching hospitals, including private hospitals, specialist rooms, clinics and day surgeries, and non-clinical settings.
The aim of the STP is to enhance the specialist workforce by providing quality training opportunities in diverse locations to broaden trainees' experiences and increase the number of specialists serving in regional, rural, and remote areas.
The STP is delivered through 13 specialist medical colleges including the RACP and is funded by the Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care. It supports around 920 training positions across all colleges and an additional 100 training posts through the Integrated Rural Training Pipeline.
Discover how the STP is shaping the careers of our members
RACP Māori members, you're invited to join the new Facebook group
Ask questions, share resources and connect in a private group.
The RACP Māori members Facebook group is a secure forum to promote whakawhanaungatanga between Māori trainees, Fellows and select staff from the College.
We invite you, our RACP Māori members to join the Facebook group to:
- build on your existing connections within the Māori membership
- share training experiences, tips, resources and upcoming events
- establish two-way communications between Māori members and select RACP staff (the RACP Hauora Māori Team).
Please note you will need to be logged on to Facebook and have your Member Identification Number (MIN) to join the group.
Join the group
New clinical governance podcast series: Safeguarding Healthcare
RACMA has established a new Clinical Governance podcast series entitled Safeguarding Healthcare. This podcast offers an unfiltered view of patient safety, medical ethics, and healthcare decision-making.
Explore the series here: Safeguarding Healthcare Podcast Series
Journal of Paediatrics and Child Health
The Journal of Paediatrics and Child Health publishes original research articles of scientific excellence in paediatrics and child health. The latest edition is now live and available to view online.
Some topics include:
- Medical assessments for abuse and neglect in contacts of maltreated children
- Influence of blood loss on cerebral oxygen saturation in paediatric patients undergoing surgery for scoliosis correction: A retrospective observational study
- Why do children not survive extracorporeal membrane oxygenation?
Read the journal
The RACP Congress in May of this year was opened by a fascinating lecture on mental health in the medical workforce, which has been trimmed down for audio. Professor Neil Greenberg is an occupational psychiatrist with more than 23 years in the UK Armed Forces. His extensive research within defence and health settings has informed a very pragmatic understanding of the impact of trauma and relationships in the workplace. Professor Greenberg overturns some entrenched beliefs we have about the presentation and management of mental illness, as does guest host Dr David Beaumont from the College Member Health and Wellbeing Committee. He reflects on the role of the Committee and how his own understanding of health has shifted in response to personal distress.
Guests
Professor Neil Greenberg FRCPsych, FHEA, MFMLM, MInstLM, MEWI, MFFLM (Kings College, London; March on Stress).
Dr David Beaumont FAFOEM (Positive Medicine, Director; RACP Member Health and Wellbeing Committee).
Please visit the Pomegranate Health web page for a transcript and supporting references. Login to MyCPD to record listening and reading as a prefilled learning activity. Subscribe to new episode email alerts or search for ‘Pomegranate Health’ in Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Castbox or any podcasting app.
Did you know that you can now update your address details online? Simply Login to MyRACP and go to “Edit my details”.
When you join the RACP Online Community (ROC), you can post questions and start discussions with other members. But did you know that the ROC also features a Member Directory and Special Interest Directory designed to help you find and connect with your colleagues?
The easy-to-use directories allow you to search by name, location, Division, Faculty, Chapter and/or specialty and are the perfect way to chat directly with other members and expand your network of contacts across the membership.
Log in to the ROC to connect with your peers.
RACP Benefits - your lifestyle benefits program has arrived
Save on all your favourite lifestyle and service brands from leading retailers across Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand – with
RACP Benefits. Our lifestyle benefits portal offers you exclusive discounts and genuine savings on items in a range of popular categories. To celebrate the launch of
RACP Benefits, we have some great offers for you to explore.
So log in today and take advantage of your RACP Benefits.
Pomegranate Health podcast: Your contributions welcome
The RACP podcast, Pomegranate Health, has published over 100 episodes since starting out eight years ago.
To provide more frequent and focused content we’re seeking contributions from our speciality societies, committees and affiliated professional organisations.
To hear what this would sound like, listen to the episodes tagged [IMJ On-Air]
These episodes feature authors published in the Internal Medicine Journal being interviewed by the relevant section editor.
They have covered themes as varied as asthma management, hospital-acquired complications, causes of readmission and the JEV outbreak.
You already spend considerable time preparing lectures and webinars for your colleagues.
Audio podcasts provide an easy way to reach thousands more around the world.
Each episode gets downloaded around 6500 times over the first 12 months from publication, with 21 per cent of listeners located outside of Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand.
All you need to do is to organise one or more presenters and an interviewer familiar with the material. The podcast producer will coordinate an online recording lasting about one hour and then edit it down before publication. The intention would be to ‘brand’ regular episodes from your specialty society or organisation in the same way that we’ve done with [IMJ On-Air].
Please send any questions or ideas to podcast@racp.edu.au
View all career opportunities on the RACP website.
To submit an article for publishing in Pot-pourri, please email paed@racp.edu.au. The article should be no more than 350 words. If you would like to submit an image with your article, it would be assumed that you have received appropriate permission to use the photo and it needs to be of high resolution, above 300 dpi. Please note that articles may need to be edited by the RACP Communications Team.