News and Reviews
General practice care crucial in helping patients with rare cancers
General practice care crucial in helping patients with rare cancers
Royal Australian College of GPs
The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) has called on government to institute key reforms to help GPs and practice teams improve the health and wellbeing of people diagnosed with rare and less common cancers.
It comes following the College’s submission to the Senate Standing Committees on Community Affairs inquiry into equitable access to diagnosis and treatment for individuals with rare and less common cancers, including neuroendocrine cancer.
Chair of the RACGP Expert Committee on Quality Care, Professor Mark Morgan, said that GPs must be front and centre when it comes to helping people with rare cancers.
“GPs play a vital role in the diagnosis, screening, treatment and care coordination of patients with a rare cancer, and government policy must reflect that,” he said.
“As outlined in the National Strategy Action Plan for Rare Diseases, GPs are often the first point of contact for people with rare diseases and if we are included in the care of patients with cancer this will ultimately improve the quality of care they receive and their overall wellbeing.
“It is vital that patients with cancer are encouraged to see their GP during their treatment to monitor progress and ensure that other health conditions and preventive screens are not overlooked. We shouldn’t just be focussed on treating cancer in isolation, other health activities and interventions must also be front of mind as part of a shared care model to improve care for people with complex chronic conditions. GPs are key to multidisciplinary teams and care coordination, and we need models in place to enable GPs and other health professionals to work collaboratively at the top of their scope, so that patients get the best outcomes.
“Greater investment in general practice care would also make a real difference. This year’s federal Budget, including a new Medicare Benefits Schedule item for consultations lasting more than an hour, was a positive step forward. However, the job is not done because the MBS still rewards shorter, episodic care rather than long-term management of complex diseases.
“The MBS also doesn’t adequately support direct communication between GPs and other specialist providers leading to an over reliance on periodic letters or waiting for MBS-funded consultation visits. Basically, patient care coordination is not funded under this system. It’s important to keep in mind that patients might benefit from opportunities to engage in physical activity or being connected to a peer support group. They might need to receive care from specialist teams based within a hospital and allied health providers in the community.
RACGP has called on government to institute key reforms to help GPs and practice teams improve the health and wellbeing of people diagnosed with rare and less common cancers.
“GP teams are ideally placed to connect all these services, but current funding models are inadequate. Particularly when it comes to rare cancers, we may need to undertake further research and talk to other health professionals caring for the patient. So, what we really need is more investment in the MBS and the introduction of payment models to better support longer complex consultations and shared care to get the best possible results for our patients.
“Making clinical information more accessible for GPs would also be very beneficial. The College backs expanding HealthPathways, a system developed through Primary Health Networks, which features links to clinical guidance for assessing and managing a patient with a particular symptom or condition and locally relevant information on referrals to existing services and specialists.
“Ask any GP and they will tell you that rare and less common cancers can be challenging to diagnose and it’s difficult to identify patients who are at higher risk of rare cancers to institute regular surveillance. In addition to further research into rare and less common cancers, we also back further funding to investigate the feasibility of an urgent cancer referral system that includes people with suspected rare and less common cancers, like the one that operates in the United Kingdom. Under that system, anyone with symptoms that might indicate cancer is seen by a relevant specialist within two weeks, which means patients benefit from early diagnosis and earlier access to treatment.
“We have come a long way in Australia in treating and caring for people with rare and less common cancers, but there is still great room for improvement. The College looks forward to working with government to ensure all possible measures are in place to help patients with cancer get the best possible care.”
The RACGP is currently updating the Guidelines for preventive activities in general practice 9th edition(the Red book). The Red Book provides the general practice team with guidance on screening, case finding and proactive preventive care. These guidelines do not receive any public funding but are critical source of advice to GPs and other health professionals. Public funding would enable the RACGP to invest greater resources in the development and implementation of the guideline’s recommendations.
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New development planned for Woolgoolga Retirement Village
Woolgoolga and District Retirement Village Ltd are taking steps to add a collection of modern retirement residences and amenities to their village in High Street. They are in the early phase of planning a new development to be called Callisto Coastal Retirement.
Sasha Andrews, Chief Executive Officer of Woolgoolga and District Retirement Village Ltd is excited about the plans. “We are very proud to be adding Callisto Coastal Retirement to our community.” Ms Andrews said. “We are part of a great community in a fantastic location and aim to set the benchmark for premium retirement living in Woolgoolga.”
At this early stage, they are keen to get input from the local community of future residents to help create the perfect coastal retirement. A Feedback Forum is being offered to eligible potential residents aged 55+, providing an opportunity to learn more, convey their thoughts, ideas and insights around design and services, features, amenities and priorities.
The new development has the support of the Board of Directors of the not-for-profit, community owned organisation. Chairperson, Ian Wade said “Woolgoolga and District Retirement Village has played an important role in the community for many years and we want to ensure that it continues to meet the needs of our seniors for years to come. We have a great opportunity to provide quality retirement living, built with future residents in mind.”
A community Feedback Forum is planned for Tuesday 7 May. For details and to register to attend, go to the website here. For more on the Woolgoolga Retirement Village, visit here.
For more Coffs Harbour news, click here.
Memory Run Walk Jog – My Way Lismore
Albert Park Baseball Grounds
Keen Street Lismore
8am Sunday 19th May 2024
Join a fun community activity to fundraise and raise dementia awareness. Last year, more than 10,000 people walked, jogged and ran in cities and towns across Australia for people impacted by dementia. Dementia awareness
Lismore events include a 10km run, a 5km jog/walk or a 1km walk so that the day is inclusive of all levels of physical ability.
There will be information stalls providing details of supports, local resources and services to help those impacted by dementia, as well as food and drinks.
Form a team from your workplace, local club, friends or family (dress up to make it fun!) and enter the 1km walk, 5km jog/walk or a 10km run. Get lots of sponsors!
To register a team or take part as an individual go to:
www.memorywalk.com.au/event/lismore-myway
Dementia awareness
Currently, dementia is the leading cause of death in women and overall, it is the second leading cause of death for all Australians. In 2024, it is estimated that more than 1.6 million people in Australia are involved in the care of someone living with dementia.
Dr Jones says ‘The ageing population in the Northern Rivers is growing at an exponential rate. Our region is one of the highest ageing communities in NSW and this comes with increasing rates of those impacted by dementia in our community. I’m quite keen to see that we adopt more preventable approaches against dementia in our region’. Dementia awareness
Dr Jones says ‘There are many things we can do to prevent dementia or delay your risk of developing dementia. Adopting healthy lifestyle habits, in particular regular exercise can make a significant difference’.
“We encourage the whole community to come together, not only to raise money for
Dementia Australia, but also to exercise together and to fight this disease” says Dr Jones.
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