Dr Scott Lewis, only doctor in Wudinna, resigns citing lack of support from health authorities

A well-respected SA doctor who’s the only GP in a small Eyre Peninsula town has resigned after giving SA Health a withering serve.

The only doctor in the small Eyre Peninsula town of Wudinna has announced he will leave the job because he can no longer tolerate working in a system with “so little respect for its frontline medical and nursing staff”.

Dr Scott Lewis, who has held the role for the last 14 years, said multiple events over the last year have demonstrated a lack of engagement, understanding and insight on the part of health authorities.

“The recent release of the Local Health Network (LHN) Covid management ‘plan’ is a case in point, with doctors having not been consulted or informed of the LHN plan, despite the expectation we will deliver this care,” he posted to Facebook on Tuesday.

“We have not been equipped or supported in our hospitals to deal with a Covid outbreak, even 18 months since it started.”

Dr Scott Lewis. Picture: File

Dr Scott Lewis pictured several years ago with his plane.

Dr Lewis said he advised his LHN, which is the Eyre and Far North network, in July that he was considering leaving if conditions did not improve, and told a board member in October.

“Despite this, there has been absolutely no attempt to engage with me to discuss my concerns, or retain me in this community,” he said.

“I can no longer tolerate working in a system that has so little respect for its frontline medical and nursing staff.”

The state’s Rural Doctors Association has this year been locked in a dispute with the state government around a new working agreement, but negotiations have stalled.

Dr Lewis, who serves as treasurer of the organisation, said pay and conditions as well as the “degradation” of the health network, were factors in his decision to leave.

Another factor was a failure to address requests for basic maintenance of his LHN-owned home, including painting and fixing a hole in the roof.

He and his family will relocate to the Adelaide Hills at the end of the year.

It comes as a disturbing number of healthcare staff across the state have refused to be vaccinated, with many stood down.

Eyre and Far North LHN chief executive Verity Paterson said Dr Lewis had been invaluable to the local community and done a fantastic job as part of the Covid vaccination program.

She said the network was “sad to see him go” but respected his decision, and added the challenges in attracting and retaining doctors were well known.

“Scott has been a passionate advocate for improving those arrangements, and we have listened and learned from him,” she said.

“A new GP contract is currently being negotiated on our behalf by SA Health’s Rural Support Service, which works towards a coordinated and sustainable agreement that benefits the rural GP medical workforce.”

Ms Paterson said the network had engaged with local doctors including Dr Lewis on the development of key health strategies.

“We continue to plan and discuss with key stakeholders and local communities about our Covid-ready health plan, and will continue to keep local doctors and communities updated on the outcome of these discussions,” she said.