HPMI Medical Education Update 2026

Join us for a full-day education program covering key topics in general practice, delivered by experienced specialists.

Date: Saturday, 19 September 2026
Time: 8:30 AM – 3:45 PM
Location: NEX, 309 King Street, Newcastle West 2302

Earn up to 6 CPD Hours (Including up to 3 RP Hours)
Designed for GPs and Healthcare Professionals

Reduced Membership Fees for the Remainder of 2026

Take advantage of our reduced membership rates and enjoy access to events, webinars, courses and professional development opportunities for the remainder of 2026.

General Practitioner (GP) Membership – $400 (incl. GST)
Specialist Membership – $275 (incl. GST)
Allied Health Professional, Nurse & Practice Administration Membership – $200 (incl. GST)

Become a member for the remainder of 2026 now!

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Keynote Speaker


A/Professor Stephen Macfarlane, Consultant Psychiatrist, Head of Clinical Services, Dementia Support Australia

2.30 pm: Managing Difficult Dementia Behaviours in Aged Care Facilities

Why attend?
– Apply practical strategies to manage behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia in aged care
– Assess risks and benefits of pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatment options
– Recognise common challenges and pressures when managing agitation and behavioural disturbance
– Use effective communication strategies with families and aged care staff.

Bio

A/Prof Steve Macfarlane graduated from Monash University in 1991. He is a geriatric psychiatrist and past Chair of the Faculty of Psychiatry of Old Age for the RANZCP. He has held Director positions in two public hospital aged psychiatry services in Melbourne, and has been Head of Clinical Services with Dementia Support Australia since 2016. He remains involved in medical student and postgraduate teaching. Steve has published over 50 peer-reviewed academic articles, has presented numerous times at international conferences, and has been active in Alzheimer’s disease clinical trials for over 25 years, serving as lead investigator on a number of local, national and international studies. He continues to maintain a small private practice.

Prof Macfarlane appeared as an expert witness before the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety on two occasions, and was co-editor of ‘The BPSD Textbook,’ the first comprehensive book to deal with the assessment and management of the behaviours and psychological symptoms of dementia. Steve was deeply involved in working with the Commonwealth to establish the national network of Special Dementia Care Units.

Steve has deep interests in ancient history and in film. He has two children in young adulthood, and enjoys spending time with his partner, Lulu.

Program Agenda

PLEASE NOTE

The three 1-hour RP sessions will not be available via live stream. Recordings will be available after the event; however, the interactive components will be available only to in-person participants.

All other sessions will be available via live stream.

Time
8.00 am – Registration and Trade Displays
8.30 am – Welcome

8.40 am – PAEDIATRIC ENT
(1 RP hour) Livestreaming is not available. Access is available online after the event.
Dr Niall Jefferson, Ear, Nose and Throat, Head and Neck Surgeon, Ear, Nose and Throat, Newcastle, Charlestown
Ms Robyn Pritchard, Audiologist
Ms Amy Francis, Audiologist
Ms Mel Dowling, Audiologist

  • Recognise children who require hearing assessment despite having passed newborn hearing screening.
  • Identify common clinical features of conductive, sensorineural and functional listening difficulties in children.
  • Describe an appropriate referral and assessment pathway for children with suspected hearing or auditory processing difficulties.
  • Understand the respective roles of audiology, ENT and other allied health professionals in the multidisciplinary management of paediatric hearing loss.

9.40 am – VOLUNTARY ASSISTED DYING
Dr Anne-Marie Vilain, General Practitioner, Waratah General Practice and Hunter New England Voluntary Assisted Dying Service

  • Understand the NSW VAD legislation and health care provider rights and responsibilities
  • Understand how VAD services are delivered locally and how to refer patients
  • Understand the patient journey through the VAD process

10.10 am – BRAIN TUMOURS AND HEADACHES
Professor Michael Fay, Radiation Oncologist, GenesisCare; Centre Director and Foundation Chair, MHF Centre for Brain Cancer Research, University of Newcastle; Scientific Advisor, Mark Hughes Foundation

  • Common headache presentations in neuro-oncology and when to be concerned
  • Current management options

10:55 am - Morning Tea and Trade Displays

Time
11.20 am – AI IN GENERAL PRACTICE 
(1 RP hour) Livestreaming is not available. Access is available online after the event.
Dr Lee Fong, General Practitioner, Brunker Road General Practice, Adamstown

  • Describe the current and emerging applications of AI in general practice — documentation, decision support, triage and consumer-facing tools — and what is known about their performance.
  • Identify the clinical, medico-legal and professional risks arising from AI use in practice, including automation bias, skill erosion, and the gap between how products are marketed and what their terms of use disclaim.
  • Consider what individual GPs and the profession can do, at practice level and beyond, to ensure AI in general practice serves patients and the sustainability of primary care.
  •  

11.30 am – 1.30 pm – MIRENA INSERTION COURSE (CONCURRENT WORKSHOP)
Dr Milton Sales, General Practitioner, Brunker Road General Practice
Dr Phoebe Walsh, Specialist General Practitioner, Brightwell Health 
(Limited to 10 participants. To learn more, click the Mirena Insertion Course Information tab below)

Please note: This workshop is an optional concurrent session. Participants who register for the Mirena Insertion Course will attend this workshop in place of the main educational program between 11.30 am and 1.30 pm. Places are strictly limited to 10 participants

This workshop teaches participants how to assess a patient for the use of a Mirena intrauterine device. The workshop will include a practical component involving hands-on instruction of its insertion by Dr Milton Sales, assisted by Dr Phoebe Walsh

HPMI will provide a certificate of completion after the online component and evaluation questionnaire. The online component may be completed at home.
The course will include:

  • Types of IUDs
  • Pre-Insertion assessment of clients
  • Practise of insertion techniques
  • Management of IUD-related problems

12.20 pm – CKD UPDATE
Professor Bobby Chacko, Director, Renal Services, John Hunter Hospital and Hunter Kidney Clinic

  • Apply current evidence and guideline updates to improve the early detection, risk stratification, and monitoring of chronic kidney disease in primary care.
  • Implement evidence-based strategies to slow CKD progression and reduce cardiovascular risk, including the appropriate use of kidney-protective therapies and timely referral to nephrology.

12.50 pm – CONTEMPORARY MANAGEMENT OF AF 
Dr Paolo D’Ambrosio, Cardiologist & Cardiac Electrophysiologist, John Hunter Hospital, Newcastle, NSW; PhD Candidate
The University of Melbourne

  • Diagnosing atrial fibrillation and initiating guideline-based assessment and anticoagulation strategies in general practice
  • Developing individualised management plans, including rate versus rhythm control and appropriate referral for catheter ablation

1:20 pm - Lunch and Trade Displays

Time
1.55 pm – HOSPITAL LIAISON GP – WHAT DO WE DO?
Dr Victoria Frostis and Dr Michelle Redford

  • Describe the role and scope of the pilot Hospital Liaison GP service at John Hunter Hospital
  • Outline the referral mechanism and process for GPs engaging with the Hospital Liaison GP service

2.10 pm – BEYOND WEIGHT LOSS: BROADER THERAPEUTIC BENEFITS OF GLP‑1 RECEPTOR AGONISTS
Professor Shamasunder Acharya, Endocrinologist, Clinical Director, Endocrinology and Diabetes Lead, Diabetes Alliance

  • Understand broader benefits of weight loss beyond glycaemia
  • Review current evidence of GLP1 in OSA, MAFLD, OA and cardiorenal endpoints

2.40 pm – MANAGING DIFFICULT DEMENTIA BEHAVIOURS IN AGED CARE FACILITIES
(1 RP hour) Livestreaming is not available. Access is available online after the event.
A/Professor Stephen Macfarlane, Consultant Psychiatrist, Head of Clinical Services, Dementia Support Australia

  • Discuss the evidence base around the use of psychotropic medications when used for altered behaviour in dementia.
  • Make more rational choices about appropriate medication use.
  • Have a greater understanding of the role of non-pharmacological interventions for altered behaviour.

3.30 pm – Q&A

3.45 pm - Close

The program provides a range of clinically relevant topics designed for general practice teams, with opportunities to engage during scheduled breaks and trade displays

Fees

Standard Pricing

Non-Member Medico – $ 199.00 (incl.GST)
Non-Member AHP, Nurse, Admin – $159.00 (incl.GST)
Mirena Only – $150 (incl.GST)

✔ Full event access
✔ CPD hours included
✔ Catering included

FAQ

Early Bird registrations closed on 14 August 2026.

RACGP and ACRRM CPD hours are available.

Educational Activity (EA) hours are available for all sessions. Additional Reviewing Performance (RP) hours are available for eligible sessions and associated activities as outlined in the program.

The event has been designed for:

  • General Practitioners
  • GP Registrars
  • Practice Nurses
  • Practice Managers
  • Primary healthcare professionals

The program focuses on practical, evidence-based updates that can be applied immediately in clinical practice.

Yes. Online streaming is available for most sessions.

Please note that the Mirena Insertion Workshop and designated RP sessions are available only to in-person participants. Session recordings will be made available (excluding Mirena) following the conference, where applicable.

The $400 reduced GP Individual Membership includes access to a range of education activities at no additional cost, including:

  • HPMI Medical Education Update
  • Interventional Medicine Webinar
  • Treatment Resistant Depression, Anxiety and PTSD Webinar
  • Child Protection and Paediatric Asthma Update
  • Perimenopause and Menopause Update
  • Nursing CPD Online
  • Practice Administration CPD Online

Membership offers excellent value for practices and individuals looking to access ongoing professional development throughout the year. To see all of our reduced membership offers, click here

The Mirena Workshop has reached capacity and is currently operating a waitlist. Attendees wishing to join the waitlist should complete the registration form and select a Mirena Workshop attendance option.

Registrations remain open for the Medical Education Update 2026.

Yes. Participants interested in obtaining additional RP hours can register their interest during the registration process.

Further information about the additional online component will be provided closer to the event.

Yes. A certificate of attendance can be provided upon request after the event. Participants can use this certificate when recording CPD activities with their relevant college where applicable.

Limited parking is available at NEX.

The closest public parking option is the Bull Street Car Park, located behind the venue. Standard parking fees apply. Attendees are encouraged to arrive early to secure a parking space.

Attending in person gives you the opportunity to:

  • Participate in interactive sessions
  • Meet and network with colleagues
  • Engage directly with presenters
  • Visit trade displays
  • Access content not available via livestream

Face-to-face attendance provides the most complete conference experience.

Yes. Registration includes morning tea, lunch and refreshments throughout the day for face-to-face attendees.

REGISTER NOW

Location