The North Western Melbourne Primary Health Network (NWMPHN) office will be closed from 5:00pm on Thursday, 23 December 2021 and reopen at 9:00am on Monday, 10 January 2022.
Some of our programs and services will operate at reduced capacity during this period. Important information for general practices and other primary care providers is listed below.
Allocation of COVID-19 patients 
We are keen to ensure we have accurate opening hours for clinics in the NWMPHN region over the holiday break. This will ensure that practices who are not open during this period are not allocated any patients under the West Metro COVID Positive Pathway program.
If you are willing to share your opening hours we would appreciate you completing this short survey. You can also use this survey to let us know if you are willing to take additional COVID-19 patients during this time.
COVID-19 vaccine ordering 
The Australian Department of Health provided the following information about COVID-19 vaccine ordering over the Christmas period in its 7 December 2021 bulletin (.pdf).
With Christmas and the New Year fast approaching, practices are encouraged to commence planning for the number of vaccines needed from mid-to-late December 2021 to mid-January 2022. When ordering, please consider the additional stock and consumables needed to meet demand over the holiday period.
When should I place vaccine orders over the Christmas and New Year period?
The table below provides key dates for ordering and deliveries over the Christmas period:
| End of ordering cycle | Requested delivery date (RDD) |
|---|---|
| 10 December 2021 | 24 December 2021 |
| 17 December 2021 | 7 January 2022 |
| 24 December 2021 | 7 January 2022 |
| 31 December 2021 | 14 January 2022 |
| 7 January 2022 | 21 January 2022 |
Orders placed from:
- Saturday 4 December to Friday 10 December 2021 will be delivered in the week ending RDD 24 December 2021, and
- Saturday 11 December to Friday 17 December 2021 will be delivered in the week of RDD 7 January 2022.
Please note that:
- the RDD that will appear in the COVID-19 Vaccine Administrative System (CVAS) for any orders placed between 11 and 17 December 2021 will be incorrect and automatically changed to RDD 7 January 2022; and
- no orders will be delivered in the week ending RDD 31 December 2021.
To ensure practices are able to order enough vaccines to meet demand over this period, any practice that places an order between 11 December 2021 and 15 December 2021 can request to have its delivery brought forward to RDD 24 December 2021 by contacting the Vaccine Operations Centre (VOC) on 1800 318 208 by 10pm (AEDT) 15 December 2021.
PPE orders 
In preparation for our holiday closure, NWMPHN will be automatically doubling any PPE orders received from general practices from Friday, 10 December 2021.
Final PPE orders for the year must be received by 5:00pm on Tuesday, 21 December 2021. Orders received over the holiday break will be processed when the office re-opens at 9:00am on Monday, 10 January 2021.
Primary care providers can request PPE using the request form available on our website.
CAREinMIND™ mental health services 
NWMPHN’s central intake office will close from 23 December 2021 to 4 January 2022. The intake team will stop accepting and processing new CAREinMIND referrals on 21 December 2021 and will resume on 4 January 2022. Please read more (.pdf) to find out who to contact if you have concerns about your clients during the Christmas and New Year period.
HeadtoHelp 
The HeadtoHelp intake team will be available on all business days over the holiday period to quickly connect people with the right mental health support.
The holiday period can be a really difficult time for many people. Support is available if you or your patients need it. Visit headtohelp.org.au or call 1800 595 212 to speak to the HeadtoHelp intake team. More information for health professionals is available on our website.
Please note: HeadtoHelp will become Head to Health next week. It’s the same great mental health service and support with free advice and help for all Victorians. If you or someone you know needs mental health services or support, call 1800 595 212. Our rebranded website will soon be live at headtohealthvic.org.au
This transition is part of the Australian Government’s national rollout of Head to Health.
HealthPathways Melbourne 
The HealthPathways team will be unable to respond to access requests and feedback from 24 December 2021 to 7 January 2022. The HealthPathways website will operate as usual during the break and the team will reply to all enquiries from 10 January 2022. Email us to set up your practice’s unique URL for automatic access before this closure period, and to request assistance with creating a shortcut or bookmark.
