safe – partridgegp

clot – UPDATE

May 15, 2021May 15, 2021 by Dr Nick Tellis, posted in General Practice, Glenelg, GP, health, How to, Influence, Information, PartridgeGP, patient info, thoughtoftheday

UPDATE

Pfizer vaccine exceptions

On 8 April 2021 the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI) recommended that Pfizer vaccine is preferred over the AstraZeneca vaccine for people aged under 50 years.

In line with this, state vaccination clinics will prioritise:

· The Pfizer vaccine for people under 50 years of age, with consideration of priority groups eligible during each phase (see below).

The AstraZeneca vaccine for people aged 50 years and over.

People eligible for COVID-19 vaccination under the South Australian rollout can now make an appointment via the online booking system.

Some people with specific health and vaccination requirements require a GP referral and must use a different vaccination pathway to make their appointment.

People aged 50 years and over

People aged 50 years and over with a history of cerebral venous thrombosis, heparin-induced thrombocytopenia and thrombosis with thrombocytopaenia syndrome should be referred to the RAH Specialist Vaccine Clinic as per the below process.

In line with the Australian Government COVID-19 vaccine rollout, at this time there are no other criteria for a person aged 50 years or over to receive the Pfizer vaccine.

Referrals to the RAH Specialist Vaccine Clinic

People who have the below contraindications should be referred to receive their COVID-19 vaccine at a Specialist Vaccine Clinic. This applies to people both under and over the age of 50. A template referral is attached to this email.

· Have a history of cerebral venous sinus thrombosis (CVST), heparin-induced thrombocytopenia (HIT), thrombosis with thrombocytopaenia syndrome (TTS) and other situations where it is medically indicated.

· Have had an immediate severe hypersensitivity reaction (occurring within 1 hour) after first dose of COVID vaccine.

· Have a past history of anaphylaxis to polyethylene glycol (PEG, Macrogol) (all weights).

· Have a past history of anaphylaxis to any component of the COVID-19 vaccine or other vaccine.

· Have a history of severe immediate type 1 allergic reaction (anaphylaxis) to multiple drugs, or multiple unexplained episodes of anaphylaxis.

Have a history severe unexplained illness after receiving COVID vaccination requiring hospitalisation for greater than 24 hours.

People with these indications should be referred to:

Specialist COVID Vaccination Clinic Level 3C

Royal Adelaide Hospital, Central Adelaide Local Health Service

Direct line : 08 7074 0787
Direct fax : 08 7074 6135

Email : Health.RAHCOVIDVaccineAdverseEffects@sa.gov.au

Interchangeability of vaccine

As per clinical guidance from the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI), the Pfizer and AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines are not considered interchangeable.

The two-dose course should be completed with the same vaccine. There is no data yet on the efficacy of mixed schedules.

If a person had an anaphylaxis or severe allergic reaction after their first dose of vaccine, they should be referred to the RAH Specialist Vaccine Clinic as per the above process.

For further information, see page 15 of the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI) Clinical guidance on use of COVID-19 vaccine in Australia in 2021 (v2.0).

AstraZeneca Vaccine Expression of Interest update

Recently an Expression of Interest (EOI) was sought from the GP network, for SA Health’s additional supply of AstraZeneca to support the vaccination of individuals 50 years and older.

We received a large number of responses and we will now work directly with the selected GPs to arrange delivery of up to 1000 extra doses of AstraZeneca.

The selection process was based on the analysis of average AstraZeneca vaccination rates by postcode across the State with those areas which were below the average being prioritised for allocation.

SA Health remains open to ongoing transfer of excess AstraZeneca to the GP network if the opportunity presents and we will refer back to the original EOI’s to support this.

ATAGI update on AstraZeneca

The Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation met this week to review the latest developments relating to the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine and thrombosis with thrombocytopenia syndrome (TTS). You can read the latest statement on the website.

It seems like 2021 is going to be another year that just keeps giving: this months issue, sadly not an April Fools, is the apparent small increase in rare blood clotting problems with one of the COVID vaccine formulations. The problems appear to be low platelets and/or cerebral venous sinus thrombosis.

Experts (if Norman Swan can be called an expert in anything other than denigrating GPs, rabble rousing, and accepting fat paycheques) are divided on the issue:

Norman Swan of the ABC: stop current phase 1a vaccinations in nursing homes, stop phase 1b vaccinations with current vaccine, redirect phase 1a vaccine to those at risk.

Professor Tim Kleinig: We have been fooled by randomness and this is likely unconnected.

Professor Michael Kidd: 425000 doses given so far; too soon to tell.

Breaking news

Melbourne man in hospital with rare blood clots post vaccine, read on…

Authorities say they’re monitoring the situation closely after the rare condition was reported.

Do as I say not as I do.

Sometimes medical advice from your GP can come across this way. Sometimes we get the opportunity to walk the walk as well as talk the talk. It’s been a super challenging week for our front desk team at PartridgeGP as they have had to field a huge number of calls from people about the vaccine and phase 1b rollout. The government has hugely mismanaged this, mainly through micromanagement and a lack of appreciation for the fact that GPs have been doing the majority of vaccinations in this country for the last 20+ years. We are efficient and excellent.

Still, I don’t dwell on the failings of control freakery from public servants. We could be here all day. Instead I spent 20 minutes having my first dose of COVID-19 vaccine under phase 1b of Australia’s vaccination program!

Many of you may have some concerns about rare blood clotting issues and pauses in vaccination programs elsewhere. The RACGP addresses these concerns here and below (spoiler: not very much to worry about in almost all cases):

The Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI) on safety of the Oxford University/AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine, ATAGI has issued further advice related to the suitability of the Oxford University/AstraZeneca vaccine for people with a history of clotting conditions.

The updated advice stems from reviews conducted by the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA), European Medicines Agency (EMA) and World Health Organization, which pored over data from millions of recipients following reports of blood clots in some European countries.

As of 16 March, the EMA had reported 18 cases of cerebral venous sinus thrombosis (CVST) from millions of vaccine recipients, leading several European countries to pause their rollout of Oxford University/AstraZeneca vaccines.

However, the subsequent reviews have concluded that the benefits of the vaccine continue to outweigh the potential risks.

‘There is no increase in the rates of general thromboembolic disorders after vaccination over expected rates, noting these conditions occur commonly in the absence of vaccination,’ ATAGI states.

So, if you want to discuss further and you’re one of our regular PartridgeGP patients, book a normal appointment here (usual appointment, remember we are a private billing practice).

If you’ve heard enough and just want to get in the line for phase 1b vaccination, go through the process here!

REMEMBER, WE ONLY HAVE 80-100 VACCINES A WEEK AND BEING RUDE TO OUR AWESOME FRONT DESK STAFF WON’T CHANGE THIS.

PartridgeGP works with you to help you make your best health decisions, and we won’t back away from being your companion, guide, advisor, and sounding board through your health journey. We pride ourselves on great communication and we’re ready to share our professional skills and knowledge with you. This is only MORE important now with new vaccines here to END the pandemic. The way forward is clear: make your appointment with us conveniently online right here – or call our friendly reception team on 82953200.

Better, for you.

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For everyone, we believe that having a usual GP or General Practice is central to each person’s care and recommend that people with any health issues that come to the attention of other health professionals should be advised to attend their usual GP or General Practice rather than a specialised service (ie a place not providing the holistic care a specialist GP would). If they say that they don’t have a usual GP or general practice, they should be helped to find one and to actually attend it. Call PartridgeGP on 82953200 or make an appointment online here.

(Hat tip: Dr Oliver Frank)

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If you’re employed, get a side hustle and get into business. If you’ve already got a business, get a network. Want to get started? Find your tribe here!

If you are a great GP or a great Allied Health Professional, and you want to serve your clients or patients to the best of your ability, without worrying about all the non clinical things that get in your way, lets talk. Call Mrs Hayley Roberts on 8295 3200 and have a coffee and chat with us as to how PartridgeGP can help you to help others.

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ScriptCheckSA: updated

March 19, 2021 by Dr Nick Tellis, posted in General Practice, Glenelg, GP, health, How to, Influence, Information, PartridgeGP, patient info, thoughtoftheday

UPDATE: Register HERE!

A generation ago (February 2019), I wrote about SafeScripts. From my post then:

We’ve written before about how PartridgeGP prefers safer and better options to opioid and benzodiazepine prescribing. These medications do serve a purpose at some times in some patients and so we must be safe.

Victoria has an amazing system – SafeScripts. Let’s get it here in South Australia!

SafeScript is computer software that allows prescription records for certain high-risk medicines to be transmitted in real-time to a centralised database which can then be accessed by doctors (or nurse practitioners) and pharmacists during a consultation with a patient. The records will be obtained automatically via an electronic transfer of prescriptions through a Prescription Exchange Service (PES) when a prescription is issued or dispensed at a medical clinic or pharmacy. No data entry will be required. SafeScript will enable doctors and pharmacists to make safer clinical decisions and identify circumstances where patients may be receiving high-risk medicines beyond medical need.

After 2+ years, this is coming to South Australia! From the latest AMA release:

From Monday 15 March 2021, registration emails will be sent to all eligible prescribers and pharmacists inviting them to register for ScriptCheckSA. If you have not received an email by COB Friday 19 March 2021, you can register via the secure Registration Portal.

More information about how to register is available on the Registering for ScriptCheckSA fact sheet (PDF 292KB).

Free online training and resources to support the use of ScriptCheckSA will be available from Monday 22 March 2021 on this page.

Access to ScriptCheckSA will be available at the end of March 2021.

ScriptCheckSA is the name of South Australia’s real time prescription monitoring computer system. ScriptCheckSA provides prescribers and pharmacists with real-time information about a patient’s use of monitored drugs when they are considering prescribing or dispensing these drugs, to ensure safer clinical decisions.

Read all about it – here

and here

Prescription drug dependence, misuse and diversion are increasing concerns both in Australia and internationally – with associated overdose and accidental death continuing to rise in Australia.

Monitored drugs include pain medications such as oxycodone, morphine and fentanyl, some medications used to manage anxiety, narcolepsy or ADHD including dexamfetamine, methylphenidate and alprazolam.

This is an awesome initiative – safer and better for patients and GPs. ScriptCheckSA will not stop a patient from obtaining their regular medicines where their doctor has identified a legitimate clinical need. It’s great to see that things are happening in government and medicine that aren’t COVID related – the world is still turning. Of course, COVID vaccinations are coming – and coming to PartridgeGP – so check your email, phones, and our socials for how this will roll out!

Better, for you.

Want more?

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(Hat tip: Dr Oliver Frank)

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telehealth

March 14, 2021 by Dr Nick Tellis, posted in General Practice, Glenelg, GP, health, How to, Influence, Information, PartridgeGP, patient info, thoughtoftheday

Happy Monday! The government has listened and telehealth has been extended.

FOR

THREE

MONTHS

Nothing I wrote earlier has changed.

The past 18 months have brought us much change. Some has been good; some not so good. Working from home has moved from code for ‘about to be sacked’ to the distributed workforce v1.0. All professions have learned to work through the pandemic. GPs are no exception. Telehealth has been our main tool for this.

We have always had the ability to do a lot of our work via the phone – but the funding model has never aligned with this. The friction of taking payment and the rules of the Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS) have combined to force sick patients into waiting rooms, driving from their homes, to spread their bugs…just to get their insurance rebate for medical services.

PartridgeGP was in the vanguard of telehealth adoption, drawing upon our experience from rural and hospital work providing services by phone. Phone is where it’s at. We have Zoom, we have fancy teleconference abilities, but ill patients, the elderly, and those not blessed with fantastic IT and internet just want the phone. We are here to serve.

TELEHEALTH MEDICARE REBATES EXTENDED UNTIL 30 JUNE 2021 ONLY

This is neither a fair shake of the sauce bottle nor does it cut the mustard.

1. The Medicare rebate is the patient’s rebate. In dripfeeding these rebates uncertainly, the government (the insurer) is NOT listening to the people.

2. The pandemic is still here. We are insulated in Australia by distance and wealth, with vaccines to come. This has not stopped State Governments across the country calling lockdowns on short notice. Lockdowns mandate telehealth. Lack of access to routine medical care is a timebomb.

3. Australia needs certainty to move forward. Constantly changing the rules is not leadership. We can’t stride forward on shifting ground.

4. Many telehealth services have been instead of, not as well as, face to face consults. Therefore they have been largely cost neutral – in a time where government services and public servants have not lost a cent.

If you want the safety and convenience of YOUR rebate for general practice services by telephone continued – contact YOUR MP and let them know!

Nicolle Flint

Greg Hunt

Better, for you.

Want more?

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(Hat tip: Dr Oliver Frank)

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Guest Post 2: baby teeth

January 27, 2021 by Dr Nick Tellis, posted in dental, General Practice, Glenelg, GP, health, How to, Influence, Information, PartridgeGP, patient info, thoughtoftheday

General Practice always involves teamwork – Your GP knows a fair bit about a lot, but there are always subject matter experts or specialists. We have Physiotherapy with Rod and Movement Theory, Specialist Urology Services with Dr Nick Brook and the team from EastWest Urology, and Podiatry with Rosie from Foot and Sole Podiatry onsite, but we know so many great practitioners offsite as well. One of these great experts is Danielle Newbery, BOH at Kensington Dental Care, and she has been kind enough (again) to share her expertise with us in this post. Take it away, Danielle!

Newborn oral health simplified for tired mums and dads.

When my twins were born, I had 3 babies under the age of 2. To suggest that I was tired was a massive understatement. I remember one night of severe sleep deprivation when I honestly thought my son’s penis had fallen off after mixing up my boy/girl twins in the middle of yet another sleepless night nappy change. New mums and dads experience a type of exhaustion that can only be truly understood by fellow parents.

With everything that is on your mind as a new parent, it’s easy to become overwhelmed with the information given to you. If you’re anything like me, if it’s overwhelming to do something, I do nothing. So, today I hope to simplify a few things for you about caring for your new babies mouth and teeth when they emerge. Ok, ready for a quick lesson? Good, me too! Lets go!

When can I give my baby a dummy? - BabyCenter Australia

Dummy or no dummy?

Ok, this one really annoys me as both a mum and an Oral Health Therapist. There seems to be this frequently recurring negative narrative about caregivers who give their babies dummies. For the record, all of my kids had dummies. My eldest boy, Alex, had his til he was 4 and the twins til they were 3 (I weaned them all at the same time). Babies are meant to suck. They suck to soothe, increase feeding strength, make them happy and to comfort them. In fact, suckling is one of the 5 womb sensations that trigger the baby’s innate calming reflex. Dummy use has even been shown to decrease the rate of SIDS, although the exact reason is still unknown. They can either suck on a breast, a bottle, a dummy or a thumb.

As much as I loved breastfeeding, I had no desire to sit for hours on end while the babies used my sore cracked, bleeding nipples as a pacifier. Bottles and formula can be expensive and can cause bottle decay in babies, so that’s not ideal either. Thumbs are attached to the baby (funnily enough), so trying to remove a thumb from a child to wean them is literally impossible. So that leaves us with a dummy. You can read more about what kind of dummy is best. But apart from that, if a dummy soothes your baby and lets you get a few extra hours sleep, let them have a dummy. Trust me, it’s not the end of the world, but sleep deprivation can be.

But a last word on dummies; please please please do not suck the dummy yourself or anyone else. Bacteria from your mouth can be transferred to the baby and it can have disastrous outcomes including decay, thrush, cold sores and even the common cold which you may not know you have. Carry spare clean dummies with you or rinse under cold running water if it gets dropped or soiled.

When to start brushing baby’s teeth?

Well, both of my boys were born with their lower front teeth present, called “natal teeth” so I started gently brushing their little teeth right from day 1, but what is best practice for others? Start when the baby is a few days old, good routines are established early. Cover your finger with a clean damp washcloth and gently wipe the inside of the baby’s mouth and gums. When baby teeth start to appear, around 6 months of age, start cleaning them using a very soft childrens toothbrush without any toothpaste. Bacteria starts to accumulate in babies’ mouths very soon after birth, so it’s important to start the daily habit of removing the oral bacteria early on. The bacteria that causes decay is transferred to the baby from caregivers, so regular dental check ups and daily good oral hygiene practices are a must for all caregivers too.

Your child’s first dental appointment should be before their first birthday.

This also establishes good rapport and familiarity to the dental setting for the child so that future dental appointments are carried out easily without fear. You can read more about my recommendations for a child’s first dental appointment. I’ll talk more about caring for children’s teeth next week, let’s stick with newborns this week. If you are concerned about your newborns gums, mouth or teeth, make an appointment with your Oral Health Therapist for some excellent knowledge and advice.

Points to remember

If your baby settles better suckling, a dummy is perfectly acceptable to use

Do not suck on the babies dummy yourself, rinse it clean under cold water

Start cleaning babies mouth early on with a clean damp cloth

Use a soft toothbrush once teeth start to appear

No toothpaste until the age of 2, then only use a children’s toothpaste with reduced fluoride

Adult strength toothpaste from age 6

First dental check before babies first birthday

Most of all do what works for you. Your Oral Health Therapist should be supportive, flexible and understanding of everyone’s needs. They are there to help you, not judge.

Good luck! Get some sleep!

Thanks Danielle! PartridgeGP works with you to help you make your best health decisions. , and that includes recommending other practitioners to you who care as much as we do. Thanks Danielle! Read more from Danielle right here.

We pride ourselves on great communication and we’re ready to share our professional skills and knowledge with you. This is only MORE important now, in the time of a global pandemic with a new vaccine on the horizon. The way forward is clear: make your appointment with us conveniently online right here – or call our friendly reception team on 82953200.

Better, for you.

Want more?

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(Hat tip: Dr Oliver Frank)

(TL;DR – Get a regular GP or General Practice and use them!)

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If you’re employed, get a side hustle and get into business. If you’ve already got a business, get a network. Want to get started? Find your tribe here!

mutants

January 26, 2021 by Dr Nick Tellis, posted in #coronavirus, #covid19, #immunisation, General Practice, Glenelg, GP, health, How to, Influence, Information, PartridgeGP, patient info, thoughtoftheday

Many of you will be concerned about COVID19 mutant strains and many of you will be concerned about the vaccines available. Let’s reclaim copium and hopium and give some more reassuring information.

Don’t panic: New COVID strains are not ‘escape mutants’ and vaccines should still work. The variants have shut down nations and led to surges of new cases and deaths – but experts say current vaccines should still protect against the mutations. New COVID variants are increasing, but experts say there is no need to panic yet.Both the Brazilian and South African variants have a change that can reduce antibody binding, potentially reducing the efficacy of vaccines, as well as making a reinfection more likely. This polymorphism – e484k – is not present in the UK variant. The Brazilian variant has triggered a disastrous new tide of infection in the city of Manaus in the Amazon, where fully 75% of the population contracted the virus last year. This, experts fear, could point to a partial ‘immune escape’ – or suggest people who got milder cases in the first wave are faring worse with this new variant.

If they prove necessary, seasonal COVID vaccines could be available much faster than this first generation of vaccines.

Australia’s plan is to immunise our vulnerable and valuable elders in aged care first, along with those who care for them. This will be co-ordinated through special teams, and through hospitals, and will use the Pfizer vaccine (an mRNA vaccine with an amazing story I will write about soon).

In the second phase of vaccine rollout, with the Oxford/Astra Zeneca vaccine (a more traditional vaccine), Australian General Practice and PartridgeGP will do our bit to get those who want to be vaccinated protected ASAP, at scale, as safely as we can. Our plans are well advanced. It is super important to us to play our part – and important that people are informed, and not coerced. We can see that countries and areas overseas – the UK, Europe, the US – are being more affected by COVID, and they are having to take more risks than us. We will learn from them. We will have their data and experiences to look upon before we take the plunge ourselves.

But are they safe, I hear you ask? Well, I’ve also written about risk, here, and here, but today, as an introduction, I have a very very smart person describe a story where Australia’s contribution to world vaccination DID NOT work. It wasn’t up to scratch, and so they canned it. That should give us no little confidence in what has been approved. Enough of me – handing over to the super smart Ms Maddie Massy-Westropp.

A deal for the Australian government to purchase more than 50 million doses of a promising new COVID-19 vaccine, developed by the University of Queensland (UQ) and global biotechnology company CSL limited, has been abruptly terminated. In a statement to the Australian Stock Exchange on December 11, UQ and CSL announced that the vaccine would not progress to Phase 2/3 clinical trials.

The UQ-CSL vaccine contains the Spike protein, a molecule located on the coronavirus surface. The Spike protein enables the virus to enter human and other animal host cells, where it replicates itself. When the vaccine is administered to a person, the immune system recognises the Spike protein and generates neutralising antibodies which can bind to it. If that person is exposed to COVID-19 in the future, those same antibodies can attack the Spike protein on the coronavirus surface, preventing the virus from entering host cells and replicating. The Spike protein was kept in a stable form in the vaccine using the novel, patented molecular clamp technology which UQ has been developing for the past 10 years.

However, the trial participants also had an immune response against the gp41 component of the vaccine. This has no health consequences at all, but widespread rollout of the vaccine could complicate the HIV screening process. Due to the production of gp41 antibodies, many people who have received the vaccine could falsely test positive on the standard HIV test. Community confidence in vaccine development is critical, with a new survey by The Australian National University showing that 41% of Australian adults would be hesitant about receiving a COVID-19 vaccine.

A tough decision was made

On December 11, UQ and CSL together announced that clinical trials for their COVID-19 vaccine have been abandoned. Read the whole article here. The famous advert below rings true, and that why I have confidence in Australia’a COVID vaccination program.

PartridgeGP works with you to help you make your best health decisions, and we won’t back away from being your companion, guide, advisor, and sounding board through your health journey. We pride ourselves on great communication and we’re ready to share our professional skills and knowledge with you. This is only MORE important now, in the time of a global pandemic with a new vaccine on the horizon. The way forward is clear: make your appointment with us conveniently online right here – or call our friendly reception team on 82953200.

Better, for you.

Want more?

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(Hat tip: Dr Oliver Frank)

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If you’re employed, get a side hustle and get into business. If you’ve already got a business, get a network. Want to get started? Find your tribe here!

slippers

January 23, 2021 by Dr Nick Tellis, posted in future, General Practice, Glenelg, GP, health, How to, Influence, Information, Medical, Men, Men's health, News, PartridgeGP, patient info, thoughtoftheday, Virus

The vaccines are coming!

Win, lose, or draw in 2020, you would have had to have been living under a rock to not be aware of the virus. It has coloured every aspect of life. People have died, people have lived, elections have been influenced, Presidents have fallen. How are we going to move past this? Let’s have a look at Bayesian thinking. Bayesian decision making involves basing decisions on the probability of a successful outcome, where this probability is informed by both prior information and new evidence the decision maker obtains. The statistical analysis that underlies the calculation of these probabilities is Bayesian analysis.

Bayesian thinking is probabilistic thinking – rather than this will or won’t happen, we consider what is more or less likely to happen. This applies to risk. As Jim O’Shaughnessy has said, ‘we are deterministic creatures living in a probabilistic world’. We want certainty. We get probabilities. Vaccines are not 100% effective or 100% safe (NOTHING IS). Neither are masks, nor social distancing, nor even simple hand sanitiser. Yet all of these, little by little, piece by piece, will lower our risk so we can get back to the new normal of life. Better probabilities, not 100% certainty. More poetically:

PartridgeGP works with you to help you make your best health decisions. We will take you through the risks as we see them – online, through our social media, our email newsletters, and in our consultations with you. We pride ourselves on great communication and we’re ready to share our professional skills and knowledge with you. This is only MORE important now, in the time of a global pandemic with new vaccines on the horizon. The way forward is clear: make your appointment with us conveniently online right here – or call our friendly reception team on 82953200.

Want more?

Photo by Miguel u00c1. Padriu00f1u00e1n on Pexels.com

(Hat tip: Dr Oliver Frank)

(TL;DR – Get a regular GP or General Practice and use them!)

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If you’re employed, get a side hustle and get into business. If you’ve already got a business, get a network. Want to get started? Find your tribe here!

Olympic Tennis and New Doctors at PartridgeGP

January 21, 2021 by Dr Nick Tellis, posted in Female, future, General Practice, Glenelg, GP, health, How to, Influence, Information, Medical, Men, Men's health, New doctor, News, PartridgeGP, patient info, thoughtoftheday

2021 – apparently the year of the rescheduled Olympics. Organizers of the Tokyo Olympics are agonizing over whether to hold the event amid a surge of COVID-19 cases in Japan and around the world. We live in Australia, arguably the greatest place to live in the world at any time, and certainly while there is a global pandemic. Australia has the benefit of being a wealthy island and is actually quite hard to get to. This applies to viruses, people, but not tennis players…

Heads up guys, with all the controversy about whether virus particles get through masks (spoiler – where there is low community transmission of COVID-19, wearing a mask in the community when you are well is not generally recommended. However, where there is significant community transmission (as determined by jurisdictional public health authorities), you may choose, or be required to, wear a mask. If physical distancing is difficult to maintain, for example on public transport, covering your face with a mask can provide some extra protection), I can reveal that virus particles get through the holes between the cross strings and main strings on a tennis racquet!

My $0.02 is that the Australian Open should go ahead, with firmly enforced quarantine rules, and the players should accept that the standard of play and injury risk will be different to previous years and compete (or not) accordingly. A further $0.02 worth of thoughts from me is that the Olympics should be a virtual event this year, as far as is possible, and should be sponsored by Zoom.

Parts of a Tennis Racquet With Video & Diagram for Beginners

Yesterday, we introduced our new and existing allied health providers – today, it’s our new GPs and non GP specialist doctors!

Dr Ciara Peddell completed her medical training at the University of Tasmania in 2014. Since then she has worked in hospitals and GP practices in Townsville and Brisbane. She completed the Diploma of Child Health in 2017 through the University of Sydney and received her RACGP fellowship in 2019. Dr Ciara is looking forward to moving to Adelaide in January to start her work at Partridge GP.

Dr Elias Salagaras completed his medical training through the University of Adelaide in 2017. He is enthusiastic about child health, having completed rotations at the Women’s and Children’s Hospital. He was also worked throughout the Central Adelaide Local Health Network, and the Whyalla Hospital. He is looking forward to bringing all of this recent knowledge to his specialist GP training! He will kick off the new year with a great mindset and our Great Team here at PartridgeGP!

PartridgeGP is proud to welcome Dr Nick Brook and the EastWestUrology Team to our premises at 670 Anzac Highway! Another Dr Nick I hear you say – this Dr Nick is a specialist urologist: Urology is the surgical and medical management of problems of the male and female urinary system, and male reproductive system. There is some overlap with other areas of medicine and surgery, and sometimes joint care is required. Dr Nick is joined by Dr Dan Spernat, Dr Mark Lloyd, and Urology Nurse Specialist Louise, to provide a comprehensive service from PartridgeGP, for both males and females with urological (bladder and kidney and prostate) issues.

Dr Katherine Astill commenced her specialist General Practice training with PartridgeGP in August 2017, returned in August 2019, and is back again from February 2021! She graduated with a Bachelor of Physiotherapy from the University of South Australia in 2009 and furthered her education with a Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery from Deakin University in 2013. After holding positions with the Muscular Dystrophy Association and the Women’s and Children’s Hospital, she decided to specialise in General Practice, with a special interest in Women’s and Children’s Health completing her Diploma of Child Health in 2016. Dr Katherine has a passion for holistic care and preventative health. She is also a strong advocate for a plant based diet and healthy lifestyle and looks forward to helping people with both of these.

PartridgeGP works with you to help you make your best health decisions. We pride ourselves on great communication and we’re ready to share our professional skills and knowledge with you. This is only MORE important now, in the time of a global pandemic with a new vaccine on the horizon. The way forward is clear: make your appointment with us conveniently online right here – or call our friendly reception team on 82953200.

Want more?

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(Hat tip: Dr Oliver Frank)

(TL;DR – Get a regular GP or General Practice and use them!)

Photo by Miguel u00c1. Padriu00f1u00e1n on Pexels.com

If you’re employed, get a side hustle and get into business. If you’ve already got a business, get a network. Want to get started? Find your tribe here!

How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Vaccine

January 21, 2021January 24, 2021 by Dr Nick Tellis, posted in #coronavirus, #covid19, #immunisation, General Practice, Glenelg, GP, health, How to, Influence, Information, PartridgeGP, patient info, thoughtoftheday

Happy Monday! I’ve written about having the correct mindset for a Monday and I’m going to continue in that vein. Many of you will be concerned about COVID19 and many of you will be concerned about the vaccines available. Australia’s plan is to immunise our vulnerable and valuable elders in aged care first, along with those who care for them. This will be co-ordinated through special teams, and through hospitals, and will use the Pfizer vaccine (an mRNA vaccine with an amazing story I will write about soon).

A tough decision was made

PartridgeGP works with you to help you make your best health decisions, and we won’t back away from being your companion, guide, advisor, and sounding board through your health journey. We pride ourselves on great communication and we’re ready to share our professional skills and knowledge with you. This is only MORE important now, in the time of a global pandemic with a new vaccine on the horizon. The way forward is clear: make your appointment with us conveniently online right here – or call our friendly reception team on 82953200.

Better, for you.

Want more?

Photo by Miguel u00c1. Padriu00f1u00e1n on Pexels.com

(Hat tip: Dr Oliver Frank)

Photo by Miguel u00c1. Padriu00f1u00e1n on Pexels.com

If you’re employed, get a side hustle and get into business. If you’ve already got a business, get a network. Want to get started? Find your tribe here!

Winaugeration! Expanding Allied Health Services at PartridgeGP

January 21, 2021January 21, 2021 by Dr Nick Tellis, posted in General Practice, Glenelg, GP, health, How to, Influence, Information, PartridgeGP, patient info, thoughtoftheday

This post is a politics free zone. Thank God for that! PartridgeGP is entering 2021 with some big challenges to come – a pandemic, mass vaccinations for influenza and COVID, an economic downturn, and whatever else the year has to bring. We are absolutely committed to helping our patients, our community, and the doctors and allied health professionals we serve! Here to Help – and this is what we have in store for the first 6 weeks of the year…

General Practice always involves teamwork – Your GP knows a fair bit about a lot, but there are always subject matter experts or specialists. We have Physiotherapy with Rod and Movement Theory, Specialist Urology Services with Dr Nick Brook and the team from EastWest Urology, and Podiatry with Rosie from Foot and Sole Podiatry onsite, and we have THREE awesome psychologists to help your mental health and wellbeing – Mr Mark Edwards, Ms Monika Kolta, and introducing Ms Jen Riches!

Rod and Movement Theory – Building You Up!

Mark Edwards is a registered psychologist and Flinders Medical School lecturer. He has over 30 years of psychology experience helping people with simple to very complex personal and relationship problems.

Jen is a registered psychologist experienced in providing services to adolescents and adults. She has worked with individuals experiencing a range of life issues such as relationship and family breakdowns, bullying, unemployment, drug and alcohol abuse, grief and loss, social isolation and legal issues. She works with people experiencing a range of complex mental health issues including depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder and psychosis. She has experience in providing psychology services to clients through secure online video conferencing and face to face. Aside from her private practice experience Jen has worked at Headspace, Lifeline, and MATES in Construction. Jen is passionate about providing professional, down to earth and practical psychology services.

Jen draws on a range of evidence-based therapeutic approaches including Cognitive Behaviour Therapy, Dialectical Behaviour Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and Schema Therapy. Jen brings empathy, warmth and compassion to therapy and takes an individualised approach to each client. See and hear her here!

Monika Kolta is now available to see clients and has a special interest in working with children who experience:• Anxiety/Panic/Phobia• School Refusal• Adjustment Difficulties• Attention Deficit• Depression/Posttraumatic Stress• Behavioural difficulties • Grief and loss• Family changes • Sleep Problems. She is also available to assist adults experiencing a range of difficulties, including parenting challenges, anxiety, depression and adjustment issues. Monika can provide services under Medicare Better Access, Chronic Disease Management Plans (also known as EPC), RTWSA (WorkCover) and Private health funds.

All of this teamwork begins with having a usual GP or General Practice central to your care. We recommend people with any health issues that come to the attention of other health professionals should be advised to attend their usual GP or General Practice rather than a specialised service (ie a place not providing the holistic care a specialist GP would). If they say that they don’t have a usual GP or general practice, they should be helped to find one and to actually attend it.

I’ve repeated this message many times now – hopefully the result is more Bruce Lee and less Frederic Bastiat!

PartridgeGP works with you to help you make your best health decisions, and we won’t back away from being your companion, guide, advisor, and sounding board through your health journey. We pride ourselves on great communication and we’re ready to share our professional skills and knowledge with you. This is only MORE important now, in the time of a global pandemic with a new vaccine on the horizon. The way forward is clear: make your appointment with us conveniently online right here – or call our friendly reception team on 82953200.

Better, for you. Tomorrow – we’ll introduce all of our new and returning GPs and non GP specialist doctors!

Want more?

Photo by Miguel u00c1. Padriu00f1u00e1n on Pexels.com

(Hat tip: Dr Oliver Frank)

(TL;DR – Get a regular GP or General Practice and use them!)

Photo by Miguel u00c1. Padriu00f1u00e1n on Pexels.com

If you’re employed, get a side hustle and get into business. If you’ve already got a business, get a network. Want to get started? Find your tribe here!

Short and Sweet – #thoughtoftheday

January 20, 2021 by Dr Nick Tellis, posted in General Practice, Glenelg, GP, health, How to, Influence, Information, PartridgeGP, patient info, thoughtoftheday

The worst thing that can happen to a good cause is, not to be skilfully attacked, but to be ineptly defended.

I’ve repeated this message many times now – hopefully the result is more Bruce Lee and less Frederic Bastiat!

Better, for you.

Want more?

Photo by Miguel u00c1. Padriu00f1u00e1n on Pexels.com

(Hat tip: Dr Oliver Frank)

(TL;DR – Get a regular GP or General Practice and use them!)

Photo by Miguel u00c1. Padriu00f1u00e1n on Pexels.com

If you’re employed, get a side hustle and get into business. If you’ve already got a business, get a network. Want to get started? Find your tribe here!

Tag: safe

clot – UPDATE

ScriptCheckSA: updated

telehealth

TELEHEALTH MEDICARE REBATES EXTENDED UNTIL 30 JUNE 2021 ONLY

1. The Medicare rebate is the patient’s rebate. In dripfeeding these rebates uncertainly, the government (the insurer) is NOT listening to the people.

2. The pandemic is still here. We are insulated in Australia by distance and wealth, with vaccines to come. This has not stopped State Governments across the country calling lockdowns on short notice. Lockdowns mandate telehealth. Lack of access to routine medical care is a timebomb.

3. Australia needs certainty to move forward. Constantly changing the rules is not leadership. We can’t stride forward on shifting ground.

4. Many telehealth services have been instead of, not as well as, face to face consults. Therefore they have been largely cost neutral – in a time where government services and public servants have not lost a cent.

Guest Post 2: baby teeth

mutants

A tough decision was made

slippers

Olympic Tennis and New Doctors at PartridgeGP

How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Vaccine

A tough decision was made

Winaugeration! Expanding Allied Health Services at PartridgeGP

Short and Sweet – #thoughtoftheday

Dr Nick Tellis

Hours / Info