New Tobacco Laws to Protect Children

The ADAVB welcomes new Victorian tobacco laws that will help prevent young people from taking up smoking, protect children from exposure to second-hand smoke in motor vehicles, and support more adults to quit smoking.

Introducing the Tobacco Amendment (Protection of Children) Bill 2009 to Parliament last week, Health Minister Daniel Andrews said smoking remained the leading avoidable cause of many cancers, respiratory, cardiovascular and other diseases.

The key reforms include:

• Banning the display of tobacco products in retail outlets (other than specialist tobacconists and on-airport duty free shops);
• Banning smoking in cars carrying a person under 18 years of age;
• Banning the sale of cigarettes from temporary booths at events such as The Big Day Out or the Melbourne Grand Prix;
• Providing the Health Minister with the power to ban youth-orientated tobacco products and packaging, such as fruit-flavoured cigarettes; and
• Stronger penalties and enforcement provisions.

Aside from the point-of-sale tobacco display ban, which will be introduced on 1 January 2011, the remaining reforms will commence on 1 January 2010.

The ADAVB made a submission to the Government in 2008 in support of these measures.

A picture of Australia's Children

The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare has just released A picture of Australia's Children 2009.

This report delivers the latest information on how, as a nation, we are faring according to key indicators of child health, development and wellbeing. Death rates among children have fallen dramatically, and most children are physically active and meet minimum standards for reading and numeracy.

But it is not all good news. Rates of severe disability and diabetes are on the rise. Too many children are overweight or obese, or are at risk of homelessness, and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children fare worse on most key indicators.

As regards dental indicators (see Chapter 10, pp.38-40):

• There are rising rates of dental decay among 6 year olds;
• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children are far more likely to be disadvantaged across a broad range of health and socioeconomic indicators. The mean number of decayed, missing or filled teeth for Indigenous 6 year olds was 4.8 (dmft) and among
  12 year olds was 1.8 (DMFT). On average, Indigenous children had more decayed, missing or filled teeth than non-Indigenous children (2.6 and 1.8 times as many for 6 and 12 year olds, respectively). The proportion of children decay-free at age 6 years was much lower for Indigenous children (21% compared with 54% for non-Indigenous children)
  and was also lower at age 12 years (48% compared with 60% for non-Indigenous children).—2–3 times as likely to have dental caries;
• Children living in remote areas have worse dental decay than those in major cities.

Senate Committee reports on Health Workforce Australia Bill

Looks like the Senate Standing Committee on Community Affairs thinks the Health Workforce Australia Bill is a good thing.

This will support the efforts of the National Health Workforce Taskforce / Health Workforce Australia (HWA) to drive further reforms - such as workforce substitution.

The Coalition Minority Report is noteworthy for the following observations:

• The potential for HWA to attempt to usurp the role of professional colleges and other organisations in accrediting clinical education and training for health professionals.
  
• The deliberate lack of involvement of medical and health professionals in the governance of HWA.

Some submissions to the committee also noted that there is no requirement for the HWA to even consult with the new national health professional registration boards, or accrediting bodies such as the Australian Dental Council.

The ADAVB will be looking at further representations on this before the Bill returns to the Parliament.

Draft national registration Bill released

The Australian Health Workforce Ministerial Council has released the exposure draft of the Health Practitioner Regulation National Law 2009. The exposure draft sets out the legal framework for the new National Registration and Accreditation Scheme for the Health Professions, which begins on 1 July 2010.

The exposure draft is being released to enable further comment from the public, health practitioners and current registration boards prior to the Bill’s introduction into the Queensland Parliament. Following passage in the Queensland Parliament, draft legislation will be introduced in all parliaments across Australia to adopt the new National Law.

The ADA will be making submissions in response to the draft, and would welcome suggestions from members as to key points they feel should be highlighted. Such input would be welcome by 26 June to allow time for incorporation before the deadline of 17 July. Please send your suggestions to garry.pearson@adavb.org

See also:

Communique - Ministers release draft legislation for National Registration and Accreditation Scheme - 12 June 2009. (pdf, 52k)
Exposure draft of Health Practitioner Regulation National Law 2009 (Bill B) (pdf, 2.8MB)
Guide to Bill B (pdf, 48kb)
Frequently asked questions on Bill B (pdf, 108kb)

New member resource on Swine Flu

Recognising that Australia has the fifth highest level of confirmed swine flu cases in the world, behind the USA, Mexico, Canada and Chile, and that Victoria has about 80% of those Australian cases, the ADAVB has prepared a 'mashup' of the three main resource sites that members will want to refer to in order to stay up to date with public health advice.

The Swine Flu websites published by the World Health Organisation (WHO), the Commonwealth Department of Health and Ageing, and the Victorian Department of Human Services are all available on one page in the My ADAVB section of the Branch website. Just select Human Swine Flu H1N1 on the My ADAVB menu after logging in.

The WHO map above shows the breakdown of the number of laboratory-confirmed cases by country. According to the WHO, as at 06:00 GMT, 10 June 2009, 74 countries had officially reported 27,737 cases of influenza A(H1N1) infection, including 141 deaths.

Health workforce funding boost

Victoria's health workforce will receive a $72.21 million funding boost from the State Government that will support thousands of clinical placements and help train the next generation of healthcare professionals.
Visiting the Centre for Health Innovation at the Alfred Hospital today, Premier John Brumby said this action would strengthen the health workforce so more Victorians can get access to qualified doctors, nurses and healthcare professionals. "This funding will support clinical training places each year for more than 4500 medical students, more than 12,000 nursing students, more than 600 dental students and almost 6500 allied health students," he said.

Victoria has most Swine Flu cases

As of 11 June, over 1200 Australians have tested positive for swine flu, in all States and Territories, as follows:

Victoria – 1011 cases
NSW – 101 cases
Queensland – 68 cases
Western Australia – 29 cases
South Australia – 17 cases
ACT – 17 cases
Tasmania – 13 cases
Northern Territory – 7 cases

For the latest information and case updates, visit the Health Emergency website.

Proposed National Safety and Quality Framework

The Australian Health Ministers’ Conference asked the Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care (ACSQHC) to develop a national safety and quality framework, which they have now done.

The proposed framework is intended to guide action to improve the safety and quality of the care provided in all health care settings over the next decade. The ACSQHC says that the proposed framework would:

• be used as the basis of strategic and operational safety and quality plans;
• provide a mechanism for refocusing current quality improvement activities, reviewing investments for safety and quality and designing goals for health service improvement; and
• promote discussion with consumers, clinicians, managers, researchers and policy-makers about how they might best contribute to safety and quality improvement.

The Commission has also published a discussion paper on the proposed framework, and is now inviting professional bodies, health services and other interested organisations to answer the following questions:

• What do you consider most important for safe, high quality care?
• How do your current activities align with the strategies described in the discussion paper?
• How could your future activities align with the strategies described in the discussion paper?
• What have been the biggest improvements in safety and quality in the last five years?
• What are the main barriers in your work to improve safety and quality? Could any of these be addressed by national coordination?

Submissions are due by 11 September 2009, and member input to ADA submissions (State and Federal) would be welcome, addressed to garry.pearson@adavb.org

In outline, the framework proposes the following broad strategies:

Strategy 1.1: Develop service models which improve access to health care for patients
Strategy 1.2: Increase health literacy
Strategy 1.3: Involve patients so that they can make decisions about their care and plan their lives
Strategy 1.4: Provide care that is culturally safe
Strategy 1.5: Enhance continuity of care
Strategy 1.6: Minimise risks at handover
Strategy 1.7: Provide case management for complex care
Strategy 1.8: Facilitate patient-centred service models
Strategy 1.9: Promote healthcare rights
Strategy 1.10: Inform and support patients who are harmed during health care

Strategy 2.1: Reduce unjustified variation in standards of care
Strategy 2.2: Collect and use data to support safety and quality
Strategy 2.3: Learn from patients’ and carers’ experiences
Strategy 2.4: Encourage and apply research that will improve safety and quality
Strategy 2.5: Continually monitor the effects of healthcare interventions

Strategy 3.1: Clinicians recognise their responsibilities for safety
Strategy 3.2: Managers recognise their responsibilities for safety
Strategy 3.3: Governments recognise their responsibilities for safety
Strategy 3.4: Restructure funding models to support comprehensive, appropriate care
Strategy 3.5: Support and implement e-health
Strategy 3.6: Design facilities, equipment and work processes for safety
Strategy 3.7: Take action to prevent or minimise harm from healthcare errors

Geelong Aboriginal community seeks dentist

Wathaurong Aboriginal Community is seeking an experienced dentist to develop and deliver dental services to the community. Based in North Geelong, the one-to-two day a week position offers a number of benefits. For further details, contact the Community's Health Services Manager, Ms Mo Connolly, on (03) 5277 2038 or healthservicesmgr@wathaurong.org.au
Applications close Friday 26 June.

Swine Flu - Sustain Phase

Victoria has moved to a modified Sustain Phase of its influenza plan. Only people identified by their doctor as having Human Swine Flu will need to be quarantined.

Click below to find the latest Chief Health Officer Alerts for health professionals:
Health professionals alert - SUSTAIN - 5 June 2009 (118kb, pdf)
Health professionals alert - SUSTAIN - Children and Adolescents (0-18 years) - 5 June 2009 (99kb, pdf)

Further advice is provided at the Human Swine Flu website published by the Department of Human Services.

In order to further assist members, ADAVB asked Wentworth Human Resources to prepare advice concerning occupational health and safety obligations of employers and employees in relation to Human Swine Flu.

ADAVB suggests that a risk management plan be devised and activated. For more advice on OHS and Human Swine Flu, read this WorkSafe Victoria guide.