Dale Last calls for answers as Clermont struggles to find new doctors

A Central Queensland town’s ongoing doctor crisis is continuing to come under fire with an MP demanding answers to fix the issue. Here’s what is being done.

Just months after Clermont’s health services came under fire following the resignation of its locum doctor, Burdekin MP Dale Last has called for answers and a solution to the country town’s ongoing health crisis.

It is understood the interim doctor has since left town, leaving the Clermont Multi-purpose Health Service with just one doctor.

Mr Last called on the Director-General of Queensland Health to ‘front up, listen and provide answers’.

“The Queensland government has failed Clermont again,” he said.

“When the last ‘solution’ was announced there was little community consultation and locals I spoke to said it wouldn’t work.

“The locals were right because we are basically back to square one. The government’s trial has failed and the price for that failure are the people of Clermont.

“The ignorance of the Labor government means that, once again, people need to travel for hours to get healthcare and those people are angry. The Director-General needs to come to Clermont, listen to the locals and take the necessary steps to fix this problem, and that needs to happen today.”

Burdekin MP Dale Last has hit out at the State Government as Clermont struggles to fill a position for a permanent doctor. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Dan Peled

Mr Last said increased funding from the federal government and a friendly welcome from locals wasn’t enough to retain a doctor appointed under the most recent plan and that he wanted answers as to why the situation went downhill so fast.

“Local families, the federal government, community champions and resource companies invested time and money into a model that was supposed to secure better services,” he said.

“The work and money of all those people, including taxpayers, has gone to waste and I want to know why.”

“This is another broken promise on health from the Labor government. Clermont was promised reliable healthcare services and dialysis but, instead, they now have neither.”

“Billions of dollars in revenue come out of the Bowen Basin area for the government each and every year and, despite that, basic services aren’t available. Under Labor we are seeing failures in the health system across the state and, in Clermont, we are seeing a health disaster.”

Mackay Hospital and Health Service chief executive Lisa Davies Jones, which oversees the Clermont Multi-purpose Health Service, said the service was currently recruiting for two new doctors.

“Mackay HHS is recruiting to the two vacant medical positions as part of the integrated medical model that spans the GP clinic and the Clermont Multi-Purpose Health Service,” she said.

“In the interim we will continue to engage a locum doctor to ensure that hospital patients, aged care residents and emergency department presentations are cared for.

“We will continue to work on attracting doctors through our partnership with Clermont Country Practice, Clermont4Doctors and the Northern Queensland Primary Health Network.

“Recruiting staff to rural areas is a national challenge being actively addressed by both state and commonwealth governments.”