Cooloola Coast GP responds to claims of mask discrimination

One of the only GPs servicing the Cooloola Coast has dodged volatile patients throughout the pandemic, but has come under fire from anti-vaxxers who labelled the practice ‘discriminatory’. Find out what they had to say here:

A Cooloola Coast GP has fired back at claims his practice was “discriminating” by introducing new mask mandates, saying the service would never refuse care and it was a patient’s choice to wear a mask or not that determined how they would be helped.

Cooloola Coast General Practice is one of three GPs in the eastern Gympie region, with clinics in Tin Can Bay, Rainbow Beach and a third practice in Cooloola Cove which opened its doors in late 2021.

General Practice Director and registered pharmacist Anthony Brangan said the chain has dodged volatile patients and abuse throughout the pandemic, despite being the only ones in the Cooloola Coast open regularly.

Cooloola Coast General Practice – Cooloola Cove. Photo: Facebook

A fourth GP not owned by Cooloola Coast General Practice at Rainbow Beach is only open one day a week.

The practices’ new policy, changed to be in line with the State Government’s mask mandate effective from January 2, 2022, caused unrest on social media with a small group of anti-vaxxers labelling the action as “discrimination”.

A screenshot of the announcement was shared in a Cooloola Coast “pro choice” Facebook group, with an account apparently belonging to Jillian Willow Roche calling the move “disgusting”.

“Discrimination at our local GP now,” she wrote.

Mr Brangan disagreed.

“We do not discriminate,” he said.

“We do not check for vaccination status, we do not request to know because the general practice is not required to.”

He said his practice would never refuse care, and it was any patients choice to wear a mask or not with alternative measures in place.

If a patient does not wear a mask inside the practice, he said, the doctor reserves the right to not see the patient face-to-face and will organise a phone consultation instead.

The claims are among the only criticism or abuse to be directed towards the healthcare chain since the pandemic began.

Mr Branigan attributed the lack of abuse to being “ahead of the game” and keeping good communication with patients and the majority of inquiries he receives are from confused patients seeking clarity.

However, he said his staff have suffered “Covid fatigue” through the strenuous vaccination rollout over the last two years, having helped deliver Covid and other vaccines across the Cooloola Coast.

“It’s just getting harder,” he said.

Despite dodging potential abuse from disgruntled patients, the practice recently came under fire from a small group of anti-vaxxers in the Cooloola Coast area after it updated its Covid policy

The mandate requires masks to be worn inside any of the practices across the Cooloola Coast, and anyone who refuses to or is unable to wear a mask risks waiting outside the practice or will be referred to a consultation over the phone.

As of 1am on January 2, masks were made mandatory by the Queensland Government in all indoor areas except your own home and when it is not safe to do so – such as when performing strenuous exercise.

Masks are not required outside if social distancing is possible with anyone who is not a member of your household.