Sydney South West GP Link Ltd.

Continuing to be Me @ Home – Service to support senior emotional wellbeing at home

C2bMe@home is a program that supports the emotional and psychological wellbeing of older people living in South Western Sydney, who are affected by COVID-19 restrictions. It aims to assist participants in continuing to live with purpose and dignity in their own homes.

The program provides face-to-face or telehealth sessions for targeted support of individuals, based on their specific needs.

Treatment is:

Delivered in the older person’s home or online
Culturally-sensitive and inclusive
Tailored to individual need using techniques such as mindfulness, storytelling, and cognitive behavioural therapy.

Who is eligible for C2bMe@home?

C2bMe@home is a free service for older people:

Living in the South WesternSydney region
Over 65, or Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people over 50, who experience mild-to-moderate mental health challenges
Impacted by COVID-19 restrictions.

How to access C2bMe@home

Referrals to C2bMe@home can be made by GPs, seniors and their families, and other service providers.

Get in touch with the South Western Sydney C2bMe@home team to find out more.

1800 4 C2bMe (1800 422 263)
C2bmehome.sws@uniting.org

Resources (flyer and pamphlet)

21-rec-008_-_c2beme_home_-_south_west_sydney_brochure_v4 Download

21-rec-008_-_c2beme_home_-_south_west_sydney_flyer_v3 Download

Removal of MBS rebate for longer phone consultations is premature

Sydney South West GP Link Deputy Chair, Dr Michael Tam, discusses the impact of the removal of these MBS rebates on patients and GPs, especially in vulnerable communities with ongoing new cases of COVID-19, in newsGP.

For people seeking care, they are either going to miss out or there will be a very sudden push back to face-to-face in-person care. The removal of access to these services has come fairly quickly in the recovery from the outbreak, particularly with the relaxation in some of the restrictions. It is expected that case numbers will rise, so I wonder if the removal of these items is premature.
https://www1.racgp.org.au/newsgp/professional/long-phone-consultations-end-in-nsw-with-hotspot-c

GP Link Lunches – Dr Angelo Virgona

Dr Angelo Virgona is Chair of the NSW Branch of RANZCP and Medical Superintendent and Psychiatrist at Northside Macarthur.

SSWGPLink Chair, Dr Ken McCroary, spoke to Dr Virgona about psychiatric services in South Western Sydney, and the new crisis advice service for GPs.

gp-link-lunches-angelo-virgona Download

Potential problems with temporary COVID-19 vaccination exemptions

SSW GP Link Deputy Chair, Dr Michael Tam speaks to newsGP about the potential problems with the system of temporary vaccination exemptions for people who have recovered from COVID-19.

After discharge from community isolation, often there isn’t any documentation that the patient can take to their GP to say, “This is what happened to me over the last two-and-a-half weeks”. And so in the absence of that information, that can be a little bit difficult.
https://www1.racgp.org.au/newsgp/clinical/confusion-over-temporary-vaccine-exemption

Media release: Call to open access to Comirnaty(tm) (Pfizer) COVID-19 vaccine to over 60s in South Western Sydney

The persistently high COVID-19 cases in South Western Sydney is a critical concern. South Western Sydney continues to have some of the highest number of COVID-19 cases in the country with well over 2000 new diagnoses in the past week. Deaths will continue, especially in older people who are not vaccinated. Sydney South West GP Link Ltd. (the amalgamated Bankstown, Camden, Campbelltown, Fairfield and Liverpool Divisions of General Practice) calls on the NSW and Australian Governments to support the option to use Comirnaty™ (the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine) in people aged 60 years and older who refuse other options.

Let’s get kids over 12 vaccinated!

SSW GP Link Chair, Dr Ken McCroary speaks with the Wollondilly Advertiser about the importance of vaccinating kids against COVID-19.

If we could get everyone done before they go back to school it would be very protective, especially for teachers and other staff who may not be fully vaccinated yet.
https://www.wollondillyadvertiser.com.au/story/7433754/macarthur-gp-encourages-parents-to-get-kids-over-12-jabbed/

GPs have risen to the challenge during the COVID-19 pandemic

Sydney South West GP Link Deputy Chair, Dr Michael Tam, discusses the new AIHW report on the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, and response of general practice in newsGP.

I think GPs did rise to the challenge of providing as good care as they could,’ he said. ‘Often in difficult medical circumstances – and difficult business circumstances as well.
https://www1.racgp.org.au/newsgp/clinical/australia-bucked-global-mortality-trend-in-2020-ai

ABC Radio interview – Public health system struggling to keep up in South Western Sydney

Dr Ken McCroary, SSWGP Link Chair, was interviewed on ABC Radio, PM with Linda Mottram. He discussed the struggles with mental health in people living in the lockdown, the challenges managing other health conditions, and the strain to the public health system.

Well, I had an interesting experience this week with COVID patients both at home and through the practice – highlighting the overwhelmed nature of the NSW public health system and the contract tracing system. I’ve also had some really distressing feedback from contact tracers themselves, about their stress, their overwork situation, their pressures just to make calls…
https://www.abc.net.au/radio/programs/pm/doctor-says-system-is-struggling-to-keep-up/13535102

GP LINK Lunches – Prof David Simmons

Dr David Simmons is Professor of Medicine, at Western Sydney University, Head of Campbelltown Hospital Endocrinology Department, and Director of the Diabetes Obesity and Metabolism Translation Unit.

SSWGPLink Chair, Dr Ken McCroary, spoke to Prof Simmons about diabetes care in the community, including the supports for SWS GPs through the DOMTRU case conferencing service.

gp-link-lunches-david-simmons-updated Download

2GB Radio interview – we need more mRNA vaccines in general practice in South Western Sydney

Dr Ken McCroary, SSWGP Link Chair, was interviewed on 2GB radio, Drive with Jim Wilson. He pointed out that only a quarter of practices in SWS have access to Pfizer, and likely none will have Moderna this year. We need GPs to have better access to the mRNA vaccines to deliver to young people!

Probably half the practices in the area have Astra[Zeneca], and only about a quarter of them have Pfizer. We need to somehow get more vaccines, and more practices on board as well.
https://www.2gb.com/one-week-zero-doses-south-west-sydneysiders-shun-astrazeneca-amid-plea-for-more-jabs/