Hospital closure will have 'major impact' on jobs, residents

The Gympie Private Hospital will close next month and Mick Curran says taking away any health services from this region will have a major impact

Gympie Regional Council Mayor Mick Curran will ask to meet with the owners of the Gympie private hospital. Picture: Philippe Coquerand

UPDATE:

MAYOR Mick Curran has voiced his concern and frustration at the decision to close Gympie's only private hospital, saying he will push for a meeting with the owners to see what can be done.

"I was very disappointed to hear this morning of the closure of the Gympie Private Hospital, and what this means for our community. We are a growing region which requires and deserves an increase in our health services, not a reduction,” the Mayor said.

"The fact that the decision hasn't taken into consideration the needs of our residents is frustrating. I do acknowledge the business aspects of the decision but that brings into question the level of services the state is currently providing in Gympie.

TO CLOSE: The Gympie Private Hospital will close down next month in Gympie. Picture: Renee Albrecht

"Taking away any health services from our region is going to have a major impact for those who rely on the service.

"While I acknowledge the state-of-the-art facilities on the coast, to expect residents to travel over an hour for basic procedures is unrealistic.

"Due to illness or age we know that travelling can be hard, transport maybe an issue, time away from family or work, the cost - these issues haven't been considered.

"On top of the lack of service this decision brings, the loss of employment for our community is also going to have a major impact.

"We (Council) will contact the owners to meet with them to assist in exploring other opportunities to maintain the delivery of health services in the Gympie region.”

EARLIER:

A DECISION to shut down Gympie Private Hospital by Healthe Care Australia has been made after an ongoing analysis determined it was no longer viable to keep it open.

Since acquiring Gympie Private Hospital as part of the Pulse Health group acquisition in May 2017, Healthe Care has worked to improve the operational viability of Gympie Private Hospital.

Executive General Manager Clinical Governance, Risk and Quality, Geoff Sam said on acquisition the company was committed to exploring all avenues to strengthen the business, despite concerns around the currency of the facility and its equipment.

Despite its best efforts to improve the hospital's performance, many external factors impacted the the viability of the private hospital.

. Difficulty to attract medical, surgical and anaesthetic staff;

. Growing competition from larger operators with more comprehensive services nearby; and

. Significant building and capital investments required to meet ongoing optimal quality service facility requirements and patient expectations.

For these reasons, it is no longer viable to run a sustainable hospital operation that continues to provide quality services, outcomes and care whilst meeting patient and specialist expectations from a private health provider.

Healthe Care will wind down Gympie Private Hospital services, and close on February 28, 2019.

Mr Sam said the closure is not something the company has taken lightly.

"We recognise the efforts of the entire Hospital team, and understand this is difficult news for staff, doctors, and of course the wider Gympie community,” Mr Sam said.

"We are supporting our staff through the closure and thank them for their understanding. We are also working with doctors to make arrangements for any future surgical bookings, to minimise any inconvenience to patients.

"Under Healthe Care ownership, every effort has been made to improve the operational viability of the hospital, but it's important to recognise that in the long term this is not maintainable.”

Asset owner, Heathley Asset Management Limited will continue to explore other healthcare opportunities to maintain the delivery of health services to the community of Gympie.