General practice quick updates for week beginning 21 September 2026
Updates for the week beginning Monday 21 September 2026.
Find this week’s quick updates and alerts for local general practices, covering the latest sector developments, education and training events, key health system updates, funding opportunities and clinical resources relevant to our region. Updates are grouped by focus area for easy reference.
For more information or tailored practice support, contact our Primary Care team at [email protected].
Important Updates
How to complete Quality Improvement (QI)
Follow these practical steps to help you and your practice complete Quality Improvement.
Talk with your practice team about one area you would like to improve. Use Primary Sense to review available data and identify an opportunity for improvement.
Use the self-paced QI activities for some simple, step-by-step guides.
Identify who in your team will be involved and their role in the QI activity.
Identify a sample group of patients relevant to your chosen improvement area. Start with 10-15 patients.
Discuss as a team what you will do and what outcomes you expect to achieve.
Upskill practice team members (if required) to support the improvement activity.
Work as a team to implement the improvement.
Track the improvements you make. You can use a Plan Do Study Act document.
Share the results with the team.
Discuss next steps with the team based on what you learnt and consider how the improvement can be sustained.
Share your success with the QI team at BSPHN. We would love to hear about your QI journey, and you may have the opportunity to publish a case study. Contact the team on Ph. 38647540 or email: [email protected] for further information.
SYPH-TEMBER Awareness
During September, the Queensland Syphilis Surveillance Service (QSSS) focuses on the critical role of general practitioners in responding to the syphilis outbreak in our community. Clinicians are asked to consider, “Could this be Syphilis?”, and take time to Talk, Test, Treat, and Trace.
This week we focus on TREAT.
Treating syphilis promptly and correctly is essential to reducing further transmission, and treatment depends on the staging of the infection. If diagnosed during pregnancy, seek urgent specialist advice for congenital syphilis. General Practitioners are encouraged to use the ASHM Decision Making in Syphilis tool, which provides clear, evidence-based guidance on interpreting results, staging, and treatment selection.
Clinics should ensure Benzathine Benzylpenicillin (Bicillin LA) is available on site. This long-acting antibiotic should not be confused with short-acting Benpen, which is inadequate and ineffective in preventing congenital syphilis during pregnancy. Bicillin LA can be ordered at no cost through the doctor’s bag supply, and should be administered slowly as two intramuscular injections into the bilateral gluteal muscles.
Maintaining on-site stock reduces treatment delays, limits unnecessary referrals, and lowers the risk of patients disengaging before treatment is completed, preventing further community transmission.
For more information, call QSSS on 1800 032 238.
Major legislative changes to My Health Record
Healthcare organisations participating in My Health Record must comply with relevant legislation, including having a security and access policy.
The My Health Records Rule 2016 (the 2016 Rule) has been replaced with the My Health Records Rules 2026 (the 2026 Rules), effective 1 April 2026. The 2026 Rules incorporate several key changes - including user account management, training and security measures, and a new requirement for responding to My Health Record data breaches. In addition to the policy itself, organisations must keep records showing how the policy has been applied.
Organisations registered with the My Health Record system before 1 April 2026, must update their security and access policy by 1 October 2026, in line with the 2026 Rules. Organisations registering for My Health Record from 1 April 2026, must develop a security and access policy in accordance with the 2026 Rules.
The policy (outlining access to My Health Record, training provided to staff and each iteration of the policy) must now be kept for 5 years. Evidence of how the organisation identifies who can access My Health Record and how data breaches will be managed and security measures must be kept for 2 years.
It is recommended that all organisations review the 2026 Rules and ensure their security and access policy complies with applicable participation requirements.