Country SA PHN Newsletter February 2025
Updates have been made to the Emergency Response Planning Tool (ERPT). These updates have been made across the ERPT platform and are consistent for all ERPT users.
Updates include:
- Replacing the term “Staff” with “Team Member/s” throughout the ERPT – this is align terminology with the common operating model whereby a practice leases out space to a GP, with the practice providing administrative support (reception services, medical consumables etc). This removes any implication GPs are “staff” within the tool. Where a GP is staff of a practice, the word team member/s remains relevant.
- Removal of the Covid Safety Plan module – as a COVID-19 Safety Plan is no longer a mandatory requirement for practices this section has been removed and relevant principles moved into the Pandemic module.
- Changes to the Pandemic module – this module had a strong focus on pandemic influenza with changes now reflecting management of infectious disease outbreaks more generally, including lessons learnt during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Users will be notified of the updates by Healthpoint ANZ. Healthpoint ANZ recommend you log in to your ERPT account, review the content, make any necessary edits and republish an updated version.
If you have any questions, please contact the team at Healthpoint ANZ via [email protected].
Not a current subscriber to the ERPT?
The ERPT is a subscription-only resource developed by Healthpoint ANZ in collaboration with the RACGP. This cloud-based resource guides users through a series of planning templates, where critical information about your practice can be entered, updated and retrieved during an emergency.
Country SA PHN provides funding to the ERPT for general practices. For more information contact [email protected].
ERPT counts toward CPD categories
Undertaking different activities related to the ERPT would count towards each of the CPD categories that GPs are required to complete minimum hours of as part of their CPD requirements. Which are:
- Education Activity
- Reviewing Performance
- Measuring Outcomes
The initial set up the ERPT would count as Education Activity CPD hours.
Reviewing an already established ERPT, and making changes based on new best practice principles or changes in the risk landscape would count as Reviewing Performance CPD hours.
Evaluating the effectiveness of the practice’s plan and whether it is fit for purpose after an event which requires its activation (i.e. an emergency event, a near miss or false alarm, training scenario or desk top drill) would count as Measuring Outcomes CPD hours.
For more information contact [email protected].
Further information
View the RACGP Emergency planning and response in general practice fact sheet. This fact sheet outlines important information about bushfires in Australia and provides tips for keeping your practice and patients as safe as possible in the event of extreme weather.
Published on: February 11, 2025
