Updates to the Emergency Response Planning Tool

Country SA PHN Newsletter November 2024

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. Some Primary Health Networks (PHNs) and state health departments provide funded access to the ERPT for practices in their area. For more information, contact your PHN or email Healthpoint ANZ at [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.

It should go without saying that the GP themselves must undertake the work to count towards their CPD.