The Australian Primary Health Care Nurses Association (APNA), in conjunction with Victorian Department of Health and Murray Primary Health Network, set up The Victorian Infection Prevention Helpline, to help clinicians and other staff working in primary health care settings (e.g., general practice, community pharmacies and community-controlled Aboriginal health services) navigate and provide support for both broad and narrow questions around infection prevention and control (IPC).
The service has extended to include IPC auditing and support for the state funded General Practice Respiratory Clinics and in recent months, the onboarding of 18 of 25 Priority Primary Care Centres through Victoria.
APNA received funding from the Victorian Department of Health in collaboration with Murray Primary Health Network to commence a helpline during COVID-19, June 2021.
The Helpline has been extended to cover all infection prevention advice until June 2023.
The Infection Prevention Helpline commenced in June 2021 and is manned by three registered nurses from APNA, who have the support of subject-matter experts from the Victorian Department of Health’s COVID-19 Infection Prevention and Control Program. This means they can tailor their answers to your questions, no matter how big or small. And your questions don’t have to be COVID-19 related; they can be about your practice policies and systems for accreditation or anything else relating to infection prevention and control.
Useful Links
Experts Who Have Contributed to the Project
Margaret Jennings Microbiologist & Infection Prevention and Control Consultant
Megan Reilly Registered Nurse & Infection Prevention and Control Consultant
Susan Randall Community Pharmacist
Laurie West Registered Nurse & Manager Kalwun Health Service Coomera, Queensland
Cheryl Frank Nurse Practitioner Wound Management
Contact Us
For advice on all your infection prevention and control questions, please contact the Infection Prevention Helpline team on 1300 303 184.
