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| Medical Specialist Outreach Assistance Program (MSOAP) & Indigenous Specialist Outreach Assistance Program (ISOAP) | Small Towns After Hours Service (STAH)
The Medical Specialist Outreach Assistance Program (MSOAP) and the Indigenous Specialist Outreach Assistance Program (ISOAP) are Australian Government initiatives designed to improve access to specialist medical services for rural and remote communities, and those with significant Indigenous populations. This is achieved by supporting specialists to travel to rural and remote locations to provide clinical services, and upskill GPs and health workers. MSOAP is a national program funded by the Australian Department of Health and Ageing. In NSW, the program is administered by the NSW Rural Doctors Network (RDN) and NSW Health. ISOAP is funded by the Office for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health (OATSIH) NSW Office, and exists in NSW only. In conjunction with NSW Rural Doctors Network (RDN) and other regional stakeholders, the Barwon Division provides private sector outreach specialist services. In the Barwon Division area, MSOAP now supports the operation of General Surgery (Moree - currently vacant), Nephrology (Moree, Arimalde, Inverell and Glen Innes,)Ophthalmology (Moree) and Paediatrics (Gunnedah - currently vacant). Most services include an element of GP training. ISOAP supports the operation of Gynaecology (Moree). The benefits of MSOAP & ISOAP are two-fold. The provision of specialist clinics to rural and remote NSW communities means increased access to health services, less disruption to the lives of rural people, and increased specialist skills for the rural health workforce. However, MSOAP & ISOAP also provides urban-based specialists with the opportunity to experience life in a rural community and in some cases this has resulted in specialists relocating permanently to rural centres. MSOAP-ICD was introduced as an expansion to MSOAP in 2010 and focusses on funding allied health and specialists to visit rural areas to target chronic disease amongst the Aboriginal population. The Barwon Division of General Practice has received funding to deliver Diabetes clinics with an Endocrinologist (not yet recruited), Dietitian, Diabetes Educator and Aboriginal Health Worker visiting Wee Waa, Gunnedah and Moree.  NSW RDN Locum Service Program Co-ordinator: Kate Perrett Contact: 02 67 423633 or Email: kperrett@barwondgp.org.au NSW Rural Doctors Network, the Barwon Division of General Practice and the Murrumbidgee Division of General Practice are collaborating to provide the RDN Locum Service for general practices in rural NSW. RDN aims to recruit and employ locums and the divisional officer will arrange placement of locums with participating practices. The RDN Locum Service provides locums on a priority basis to practices with RRMA classification in the range 7-3. GP practices must register an expression of interest through the NSW RDN website www.nswrdn.com.au in order to participate in the service. The Divisions that are covered by Co-ordinator, Kate Perrett, are: For further information, or to register your practice for the service, please contact Kate Perrett (Program Manager) at the Barwon Division of General Practice Gunnedah office on 02 6742 3633 or kperrett@barwondgp.org.au . Kate is the divisional officer for the northern region divisions of general practice and is your local contact for the RDN locum service. Small Towns After Hours Program (STAH) The Small Towns After Hours (STAH) Program is an initiative of the Barwon Division of General Practice and involves a phone service linking Registered Nurses in remote health services where a local GP is temporarily unavailable, to a GP in a larger centre who can provide over the telephone advice. The aim of the STAH Program is to support small town doctors and prolong the work life of these doctors. When GPs in small towns are sick and unable to be on-call for their local hospital, or both doctors from the town wish to attend an education evening, or simply require a few days leave, it can be very stressful for the GPs and their local communities. The STAH program is designed to relieve pressure on small town doctors so they are able to take time off without feeling as though they are leaving their community without a GP. The program is not designed to replace the need for a locum in the event that a doctor will be on extended leave. How the program works: A patient presents to a small town hospital where a GP is temporarily unavailable. The RN assesses the patient and calls a Volunteer Medical Officer (VMO) from a larger centre to receive over the phone advice. The VMO is able to prescribe over the phone medication, and fax through relevant paperwork. The RN treats the patient appropriately. The program has been running successfully in Bingara and Warialda since April 2009. To date we have 8 volunteer doctors offering their services to the program, 3 from Moree, 3 from Narrabri and 2 from Gunnedah. The Division is now looking to expand the program into other small towns and is seeking the support of GPs to become VMOs. |
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