Clinical Matters Newsletter - Jan 2025 31 Jan 2025

In this issue:

Industrial Strike Action Notice - Community Laboratory Services
Public Health Advisory - Awareness for measles in South-East Asia travellers
Reminder - Acute Referral Process
Feedback request - Community Geriatricians
General Medical Clinics – addressing extended waiting times in WBOP
New - 2nd Trimester Termination of Pregnancy Referral
Musculoskeletal Hospital Pathway Rollout Hauora a Toi Bay of Plenty
New and Updated Community HealthPathways

Industrial Strike Action Notice - Community Laboratory Services

Link to Industrial Strike Action Notice - Community Laboratory Services article

Public Health Advisory - Awareness for measles in South-East Asia travellers

Reference Links

More measles cases in Victoria - www.health.vic.gov.au/health-alerts
Measles alert for NSW - www.health.nsw.gov.au/news/Pages/20241224_00
Measles alert for Inner Sydney - www.health.nsw.gov.au/news/Pages/20241220_02
Measles alert for Brisbane | Metro South Health - www.metrosouth.health.qld.gov.au/news/measles-alert-for-brisbane
Public Health Alert - Measles | Sunshine Coast Hospital and Health Service - www.sunshinecoast.health.qld.gov.au/news/public-health-alert-measles-dec-2024
Measles case | SA Health - www.sahealth.sa.gov.au/wps/wcm/connect/public+content
Department of Health detects measles in a returned overseas traveller - www.health.wa.gov.au/Media-releases/2024/
Measles and Rubella Global Update January 2025 | WHO - measles-and-rubella-update.pptx

Reminder - Acute Referral Process

Tauranga Hospital ED has reported incidents where specialty teams receive electronic referrals but claim they were not contacted by the referring clinician.

Please be reminded of the correct process for acute referrals: use the appropriate acute eReferral form.

Speak to the receiving doctor and document their name in the ‘Acute’ tab of the eReferral form:

Many thanks for your assistance.

Feedback request - Community Geriatricians

The Health in Ageing team would appreciate your feedback on the work of the Community Geriatricians.

Have your patients been visited by a community geriatrician recently? What was the outcome?
Has a community geriatrician visited your practice to provide an education session? Was it valuable?

The team is navigating FTE challenges in early 2025 but remains eager to understand Primary Care's future service needs.

Feedback to be emailed to baynav@bopdhb.govt.nz.

Many thanks in advance.

General Medical Clinics – addressing extended waiting times in WBOP

Due to reduced FTE (full-time equivalent), there are fewer General Medical Clinics, resulting in longer wait times for FSAs (first specialist assessments).

If you have an urgent query, please call the APU (Assessment Planning Unit) phone via switchboard. A registrar is available until midday, and a consultant is available in the afternoon.

If there are non-urgent diagnostics that may expedite your patient's care, please submit a request through the General Medical BPAC eReferral.