activities & news

A small but dedicated group of general practitioners currently provide medical services to residents in Residential Aged Care Facilities (RACFs) in northern Tasmania. It is often difficult to continue to provide medical care to a regular patient if they enter a RACF out of that GP’s area. It is now common and accepted practice to ask a colleague with an association with a particular RACF to take over the care of a regular patient if they move out of an area. The GPs who have developed associations with the various RACFs conduct regular rounds, provide after hours care, provide vaccination services and also offer telephone support to the RACF staff and its residents. As the care of residents has become more complex GP North members identified a need to develop a support and advocacy group in the north. The majority of RACFs in northern Tasmania have been privatised and belong to chains of RACFs which are managed off site under corporate structures. Having decision making off-site has presented many challenges for GPs which GP North has been asked by its members to address.

Other updates:

• In August 2020 GPN established the GPN Aged Care Advisory Group (ACAG) which has continued on since then.
• Dr Donald Rose was elected Chair GPN ACAG
• ACAG is open to all GPs in 0363 area caring for residents in RACFs
• GPN ACAG meetings have been held via Zoom
• GPs are supported by GPN to meet with on-site managers of RACFs and attend interactive webinars
• The GPN ACAG Chair has been able to represent northern GPs re RACF/aged care issues and concerns through the media and on various committees and forums and to keep ACAG members informed with regular updates
• The GPN ACAG is continuing to be active in 2022.