Maryborough health system loses another medical clinic

As protests took place at Maryborough and Hervey Bay hospitals this week, major concerns have now been raised about the imminent closure of a local medical centre that services 2000 patients.

It comes as protests were held outside both Hervey Bay and Maryborough hospitals this week as each experience capacity struggles.

As a Maryborough doctor’s clinic with more than 2000 patients prepares to close its doors, the city’s MP Bruce Saunders fears it will put more pressure on both of the region’s already strained hospitals.

It comes as protests were held outside Hervey Bay and Maryborough hospitals this week as each experienced capacity struggles.

The Queens Park Medical Centre will close on September 10.

Dr Lesley Manski said other clinics around Maryborough had been helpful in helping patients transition to other practices.

The doctors at the Queens Park clinic, who have a combined 120 years of experience, will retire.

But with fewer doctors in the Heritage City, and with some patients already waiting weeks to get appointments, Mr Saunders fears the strain on the hospital will continue to grow with an additional 2000 patients spread among fewer physicians.

Maryborough MP Bruce Saunders with plans for the upgrade to the Maryborough Base Hospital.

“That’s going to really stress the hospital,” he said.

Mr Saunders said the hospital was set up for accident and emergency, not as a service to see a general practitioner.

“This is going to have a major impact on both Maryborough and Hervey Bay Hospital,” he said.

Together Union organiser Allison Finlay-Bissett spoke outside both hospitals this week about their capacity issues.

She said nine people had been waiting at Maryborough Hospital for transfer to Hervey Bay this week, with one waiting more than 12 hour.

Ms Finlay-Bissett said funding was in place for a doctor to be available 24 hours at Maryborough Hospital, but a doctor was not always available.

Both Mr Saunders and Ms Finlay-Bissett raised concerns about elderly people who had nowhere to go remaining in hospital when they should be in aged care.

But the cost of aged care was often prohibitive, she said.

Ms Finlay-Bissett said the Wide Bay Hospital and Health Service saw the Hervey Bay Hospital and Maryborough Hospital as one campus rather than two distinct hospitals.

Together Union organiser Allison Finlay-Bissett said 150 more staff were needed in Wide Bay hospitals.

About 20 people attended the protest in Maryborough on Wednesday.

Wide Bay Hospital and Health Service chief executive Debbie Carroll said Hervey Bay and Maryborough hospitals worked together to provide a broader range of health services to the Fraser Coast community than either facility would be able to provide individually.

“There are always doctors on duty at Maryborough Hospital. Maryborough Hospital’s emergency department medical staffing roster has doctors on duty 24-hours a day, seven days a week,” she said.

“This team is led by a Fellow of the Australasian College of Emergency Medicine (a senior staff specialist, or FACEM) rostered from 7am – 11.30pm, seven days a week.

“An on-call FACEM staff specialist based at Hervey Bay Hospital supports the other doctors on duty at the Maryborough ED from 11.30pm – 7am.

“In an arrangement that has been in place for several years, the on-shift doctors at the emergency department also support the general inpatient wards overnight.

“This is further supplemented by an experienced doctor from the Department of Medicine who is rostered on Saturdays and Sundays from 8am-noon.”

Maryborough Emergency Department. Photo: Cody Fox

Ms Carroll said there was also an on-call physician available for further support.

“Should a patient deteriorate after hours, an emergency doctor attends to the emergency call and a senior on-call FACEM is also available for further support,” she said.

“If the patient requires more acute-level care, they will be transferred to Hervey Bay Hospital via ambulance, as per normal protocols regardless of time of day.

“On top of our existing arrangements at Maryborough Hospital, the State Government provided funding in its recent budget for Wide Bay Hospital and Health Service to add a Principal House Officer to Maryborough Hospital to provide additional after hours medical cover.

“Currently the Wide Bay HHS is actively recruiting to fill this position.”

Wide Bay MP Llew O’Brien said the closure of the Queens Park Medical Centre would disappoint its clients who had been used to receiving care from the doctors, health professionals and staff they know and trust at the clinic.

“While the reasons for which a medical clinic may close are matters for its owners, the Australian Government is working to boost the number of General Practitioners in regional communities through a number of initiatives and programs, including a new Distribution Priority Area exceptional circumstances assessment review process,” he said.

‘This enables a GP clinic in non-DPA area to work with Health Workforce Queensland to make an application for an assessment of local community changes that were not considered in the original DPA assessment.

“This includes changes like doctor retirements without replacements and unexpected increases in population leading to unmet demand. If the application is approved, DPA status will be granted and they and all clinics in the GP catchment area, can gain access to a larger pool of doctors to recruit from to boost the local GP workforce.

“This new exceptional circumstances review process is a very welcome move by the new Minister Regional Health, Dr David Gillespie, who as a regional doctor himself for most of his career understands the importance of fast tracking DPA support to boost the General Practitioner workforce in areas of need.”