Lamb queen takes on top job at Allora Medical Practice to save rural health service

A co-owner of the Southern Downs’ premier lamb farm has taken on a crucial medical centre on the brink of closure, as she confirms big plans for the future.

When a crucial Southern Downs medical clinic was on the brink of closing down, a dedicated lamb farmer and GP stepped up to help save the clinic that treats thousands of rural patients.

Claire Schmidt has owned Victoria Hill Lamb alongside her husband Steve for the past two years, and worked as an Allora GP for three years.

Dr Schmidt said she knew how important access to healthcare was for rural patients, motivating her to step up when asked to take over the top job at Allora Medical Practice.

While the town of Allora has a population of about 1500 people, the medical facility cares for almost 5000 active patients.

Claire Schmidt has taken over the Allora Medical Practice to ensure they can keep providing care to their patients (Photo: Supplied)

With the former manager focusing on continuing another practice at Killarney, it was important for someone to step up to the plate and move the practice ‘into the next chapter’ and ensure it stayed open for the community.

Dr Schmidt said she knew how important the medical service had been since it opened in 2008.

“I feel so blessed because the community has totally embraced us as a family and welcomed us wholeheartedly with the lamb business, and with me as a GP in town,” she said.

“I’m really keen to carry on the practice in the best possible way.

“I’m ready to provide the service and high-quality standards that have been set.”

Without her commitment, it would have been likely the existing patients would be forced to travel for the high-quality care now on their doorstep.

“There would have been a strong chance it was going to have to close, which would have been a real dreadful shame,” Dr Schmidt said.

“The community has a strong farming background and also quite a large elderly population, so to be able to support them locally when transport is not always that easy,” she said.

“Some people don’t have an extra half-hour to travel to Warwick for care.

“Our tagline is ‘a personalised general practice,’ obviously we are not a super clinic, but we are a friendly environment that you can get care and that you can trust.

“I hope I will continue to provide a service that the town can be proud of.”

Claire Schmidt has taken over the Allora Medical Practice (Photo: Supplied)

Dr Schmidt has already managed to recruit three registrars from next year, bringing the total number of doctors at the clinic to five on some days.

“It can be a struggle at the moment because of the lack of doctors and chronic lack of funding from the government, so it’s definitely a challenge (and) it might not be easy,” she said.

“But I wouldn’t do it if I wasn’t up for the challenge.

“I’m ready to make it happen. There will be a lot of blood, sweat and tears, but I feel we’ve got the community fully behind us.

“I feel pretty energised by it actually. I’m really excited to see what the next 12 months brings.”