Supporting Young People to Quit Vaping
E-cigarettes, or ‘vapes’, are not safe for young people. They come in many shapes and sizes and can be hard to spot as they can look like everyday items including highlighters, pens or USB memory sticks.
Key vaping facts:
- Many vapes contain nicotine. Nicotine can cause long-lasting negative effects on young people’s brain development, including impaired learning ability and altered mood, and can increase the risk of depression and anxiety.
- Vapes can contain the same harmful chemicals found in cleaning products, nail polish remover, weed killer and bug spray, which can lead to serious lung diseases.
- Young people who vape are 3 times as likely to take up smoking cigarettes.
We are urging you to talk with parents, carers and young people about the hidden impacts of vapes. We have gathered some existing resources that can help you promote quitting vaping among young people, which you can find below:
NSW Health – Fact sheets, Posters and Social media tiles
NSW Health – Guide to Support Young People to Quit E-Cigarettes
WNSWLHD – Webinars
Office of the Advocate for Children & Young People – Young people’s perspectives on vaping in 2023 report
Sydney Children's Hospitals Network – KidsQuite Smoking Cessation e-learning module
Cancer Council WA – 'Clear the Air' Campaign
Helping Mob Live Healthy and Prevent Cancer Toolkit
The Cancer Institute NSW’s new Helping Mob Live Healthy and Prevent Cancer toolkit is a free online resource that provides culturally tailored, strengths-based information on cancer screening and prevention for the Aboriginal health workforce.
The toolkit features:
- cancer screening information – breast, cervical and bowel cancer screening + tips on testing for other cancers
- cancer prevention tips about healthy living and being smoke- and vape-free
- social and emotional wellbeing information and links to trusted resources and support services
- downloadable resources which can be used to support yarns with your clients about the benefits of taking part in cancer screening and healthy living. They include tailored checklists for men’s and women’s business and templates to support local promotion of screening and prevention programs
- a resource directory featuring links to a range of tailored cancer screening and healthy living resources from trusted Australian health and cancer organisations.
All resources have been developed in consultation with Aboriginal health organisations, workers and community members.
Please explore the toolkit and help spread the word by sharing it with your networks.
For more information, please contact CINSW-BowelScreening@health.nsw.gov.au
No one can predict when an emergency is going to take place.
Having a pre-prepared plan is the best way to respond to an emergency before it happens. Your plans will help you and your staff in the event of an emergency.
Use these tips and resources to prepare your business for an emergency situation - before it happens.
Business emergency planning tools
SafeWork Australia: Emergency plans fact sheet
SafeWork Australia: Emergency plan template
Develop an emergency management plan
Emergency management plan template
Prepare your business for an emergency
NSW State Emergency Service: Emergency business continuity plan
Emergency management – take action checklist
Other resources:
2023 Awareness Days Calendar
We’ve put together an awareness days calendar to highlight important days and events which you may wish to celebrate or participate in within your Practice.
You can download the calendar for 2023 below:
- Rape and Domestic Violence Services Australia
- Australian Medical Association Family Violence Toolkit for GPs
- Royal Australian Council of General Practice (RACGP) Clinical Practice Guidelines on Family and Intimate Partner Violence
- Violence Abuse and Neglect Services in the Far West Local Health District
- Far West Local Health District Child Protection Counselling Service
- Far West Local Health District Sexual Assault and Domestic Family Violence Service
- Far West Local Health District New Street Information Brochure
- Far West Local Health District New Street Information for Referrers
- Far West Local Health District Sexual Assault & Domestic Violence Service Referral Form
- Immunisation – Australian Government Department of Health
- Free Catch up vaccinations for people with medical risk factors, refugees and humanitarian entrants (all ages)
- National Centre for Immunisation Research and Surveillance (NCIRS)
- NSW Health Immunisation Programs
- School-based human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination for children aged 12 to 13
Australian Immunisation Handbook
National Immunisation Catch-up Calculator
The National Immunisation Catch-up Calculator (NICC) is now available and is based on the Australian National Immunisation Program (NIP) recommendations for Australian immunisation schedules.
The Calculator does not provide recommendations for individuals with Medical at Risk conditions where additional boosters may be recommended.
Users should always exercise their own independent skill or judgment or seek additional professional advice before relying on the information provided for clinical decision making.
The Calculator can be accessed via the Australian Immunisation Handbook website.
- National Vaccine Storage Guidelines: Strive for 5
- NSW Health Cold Chain Toolkit
- Vaccine Storage and Cold Chain Management
- Vaccine Storage and Cold Chain Management Policy
- Quality Auditing Reporting System (QARS)
- Vaccine Cooler Temperature Chart
- How to order vaccines online
- Receiving a vaccine delivery
Cold Chain Breach
- Isolate / quarantine vaccines – keep refrigerated and do not use
- Contact your local public health unit (PHU) on 1300 066 055
- Complete the Cold Chain Breach Reporting Form and email to PHU; include data logger readings and the chart of min/max monitoring (am & pm).
National Immunisation Program for all Indigenous people (NIP – funded vaccines) from 1 July 2020
ATAGI clinical advice on changes to vaccine recommendations and funding for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people from 1 July 2020 (attached). Changes relate to:
- Meningococcal B (Men B) vaccine (Bexsero®)
- Meningococcal ACWY (MenACWY) vaccine (Nimenrix®)
- 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (13vPCV, Prevenar 13®)
- 23-valent pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine (23vPPV, Pneumovax 23®)
PRODA AIR
- Australian immunisation register (AIR)
- AIR vaccination provider transition from authentication file to PRODA
- Sample Medicare provider call to action letter
- PRODA education for health professionals eLearning program
- AIR education for vaccination providers
- Enhancing data quality of vaccination encounters recorded in practice software and on AIR
Resources
- Managing anaphylaxis
- Avoiding shoulder injury related to vaccine administration
- Common side effects following immunisation for NIP Vaccines
- Save the Date to vaccinate app
- Questions about vaccination – answers to many common questions
- Australian Academy of Science 2016, The science of immunisation/Questions & Answers
Emergency Preparedness
- NSW Health 2020 Infectious disease alerts
- RACGP Practice Management – Emergencies and Pandemics fact sheets
- NSW Health Seasonal Influenza
- Pandemic Influenza Department of Health
Immunisation Education and CPD online modules
- HETI Vaccine Storage and Cold Chain Management online training module (certificate)
- NCIRS Sharing Knowledge About Immunisation (SKAI) e-learning module
- NCIRS for health professionals including Seminar / Webinar Series
- RACGP webinars
- The Australian Academy of Science – videos
- PRODA education for health professionals eLearning program
- AIR education for vaccination providers
- APNA Immunisation in the General Practice Setting (free for members)
- Online courses for immunisation service providers – Queensland Health
- Australian College of Nursing: Immunisation for Health Practitioners
- APNA An Orientation for Nurses New to General Practice (free for members)
Q Fever
- The Australian Immunisation Handbook Q Fever
- ACRRM GP Q fever online module
- The Australian Q Fever Register
Yellow Fever
- Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine
- ACRRM GP Yellow fever vaccination course online module
- Department of Health
- National Guidelines for Yellow Fever Vaccination Centres and Providers
- NSW Health Update for yellow fever vaccination centres and providers
Tuberculosis
PIP Quality Improvement Measures
PEN CS Training Guide:
https://www.pencs.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/Pen-CS-PIP-QI-Training-Guide-2019-1.pdf
To be eligible to receive a PIP QI payment general practices must:
- be eligible to claim PIPs – be accredited or registered for accreditation
- register for the PIP QI Incentive through Health Professional Online Services (HPOS) from 1 August 2019
- electronically submit data to Western NSW Primary Health Network – WNSW PHN has elected to use PEN CAT tool for practices to submit data
- undertake continuous quality improvement activities in partnership with WNSW PHN
Improvement Measures – Influenza Immunisation PEN CS Recipes
- Proportion of patients aged 65 and over who were immunised against influenza
- Proportion of patients with diabetes who were immunised against influenza
- Proportion of patients with COPD who were immunised against influenza
PEN CS Webinars
- Rural Youth Mental Health service information and referral form
- Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA)
- Australian Primary Health Care Nurses Association (APNA)
- Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation
- Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia
- Practice Nurse Incentive Program (PNIP)
- NSW Nurses and Midwives’ Association
- Australian College of Nursing
- Medicare – Department of Human Services
- Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS) Online
- Keep Them Safe – A Shared Approach to Child Wellbeing
- Australian Association of Practice Management (AAPM)