Gympie Hospital fracture clinic reopens after shutdown

Gympie MP Tony Perrett has welcomed the reopening of the Gympie Hospital fracture clinic but said one day a week was ‘not good enough’ in a community the size of Gympie.

The Sunshine Coast Hospital and Health Service confirmed this week the Gympie Hospital Fracture Clinic had resumed operating at “full capacity” from July 13, 2022.

The clinic was closed earlier in 2022 because of reported staffing issues.

Gympie LNP MP Tony Perrett said opening the fracture clinic one day a week was not good enough in a community the size of Gympie.

“We do apologise for the temporary closure of our fracture clinic at Gympie Hospital. Unfortunately this was unavoidable,” SCHHS chief operating officer Joanne Shaw said in a statement on August 20, 2022.

“The fracture clinic resumed at full capacity from 13 July 2022 at Gympie Hospital. (’Full capacity’ is opening one day a week.)

“Gympie Hospital remains a priority for Sunshine Coast Hospital and Health Service.

“Recently, the health service invested funds to increase clinical staff to care for paediatric patients, an additional four short stay beds in the emergency department and increasing mental health clinicians within the emergency department.”

People needing the fracture clinic were directed to the Sunshine Coast University Hospital or Noosa after the closure, which spurred a Gympie resident with a broken wrist to launch an e-petition protesting the loss of services at the Gympie Hospital.

Gympie Hospital

By Wednesday, August 24, the e-petition had collected 6497 signatures, after being launched on June 7, 2022.

The e-petition was backed by LNP MP Tony Perrett, who was contacted by three people who had tried to attend the clinic only to be told it was shut.

Mr Perrett said on Wednesday he was told by a “reliable source” the fracture clinic was open once per fortnight almost a month ago, but was later told that the clinic opened once a week, as it had done before its closure.

“One day a week seems completely unsatisfactory,” Mr Perrett said.

“If you got a broken bone, it’s got to be on the right day of the week. Otherwise, you’ll be shipped off to SCUH anyway,” he said.

“What happens on the other six days?

“It’s not a good enough service.”

“Our master clinical services plan was delayed by 20 months-perhaps because Gympie needs a new hospital,” Mr Perrett said in a speech to Parliament on Thursday, August 18.

“It said that the facilities are old and not fit for purpose with services fragmented, spread across multiple buildings. It is falling apart.”

“Staff have scavenged discarded equipment from Nambour Hospital. They brought back better equipment than was being used at the Gympie Hospital.”