Herbert Family Medical Centre shutting its doors after failing to attract new doctors

After not even a free car and unit could attract a doctor to the tropics forcing the closure of the last bulk-billed medical practice in the Whitsundays, government leaders have been asked - what’s next?

Shot of a compassionate doctor comforting a young woman in a hospital waiting room. File photo.

As the last bulk-billed medical practice closes in the Whitsundays, the federal government claims residents won’t be left behind, as they don’t have to go to a “bulk billing only” clinic to be bulk billed.

Herbert Street Family Medical Centre, run by non-profit Girudala Community Cooperative Society, will officially close its doors on June 30, placing “extreme pressure” on the medical system across Bowen and the Whitsundays, with its 3000 patients facing an uncertain future.

It is the last bulk-billed clinic across the Whitsundays, serving Bowen, Collinsville, Proserpine, along with the surrounding villages of Scottsville, Gumlu, and Guthalungra.

While private practices in the region can offer bulk-billing on the whim of doctors, they do not advertise themselves as bulk-billed.

Australian Minister for Health and Aged Care the Hon Mark Butler said the bulk billing rate in the electorate of Dawson, which comprised Bowen, Mackay and surrounds, was 75.7%.

The Minister said this meant an estimated 11,000 additional trips to the GP were bulk billed in Dawson in the five months to March, after the bulk billing incentive was tripled in November last year.

“This has given GPs the confidence to build sustainable businesses, particularly in regional and rural Australia, where Medicare payments for a standard bulk billed GP visit have increased by 50%,” he said.

This was the case in Townsville, with a medical practice announcing it would start bulk billing again after the announcement of the incentive.

Federal Health and Aged Care Minister Mark Butler did not respond to questions about the centre’s closure prior to publishing. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Martin Ollman

Why is the practice in Bowen closing then?

Not even an offer of a free car and unit was enough to attract crucially-needed doctors to the 14-year-old bulk-billed practice in Bowen, forcing its imminent closure.

Herbert Street Family Medical Centre director Jean Anderson said she understands the news would be a shock to the community.

“Our commitment to patients, staff, and their families continues to be the priority,” Ms Anderson said.

Burdekin MP Dale Last said the the closure will have a huge impact on Bowen.

While the clinic has a focus on treating Aboriginal, Torres Strait Islander and South Sea Islanders, more than two-thirds of its 3000 patients are non-Indigenous.

For more than a decade the clinic had been relying on locum (temporary, fill-in) doctors to plug gaps, but agency costs added up over time.

Girudala CEO, associate professor Carmen Parter, said the organisation kept the centre up and running as long as it could, describing it as one of 200 forced to shut due to a shortage of doctors nationally.

“Attracting and keeping doctors costs a lot of money,” she said.

Whitsundays mayor Ry Collins said the practice was yet to reach out to him directly, or council directly, for support on keeping the medical centre open.

“It’s something I need to get more information on, and meet with Girudala in the next week to see what support they need,” he said.

“The news of a GP clinic shutting up shop in our area isn’t what we want to hear from a community point of view. It would be good to understand the challenges they face.

“It might be a little bit more than a doctor shortage.”

What is to be done to attract more doctors?

The federal government has committed a $220.2 million investment in the health care sector over five years from 2023–24, which includes $17.4 million for the General Practice Incentive Fund.

It is also trialling a Single Employer Model (SEM), as a training approach where a registrar is employed by a single general practice for the entirety of their training program, which intends to address an inequity in trainee salaries, according to the Royal General College of General Practioners.

A Queensland government spokeswoman said the state level was also trialling this method with payments of up to $70,000 through the Workforce Attraction Incentive Scheme.

The spokeswoman also said the state government would continue to “lobby” the federal government for more funding.

Burdekin MP Dale Last said the closure would have a huge impact on Bowen and the surrounding towns, and that he’d spoken directly with senior staff regarding the closure.

“Many patients have been using the service for an extended period and have built relationships with staff that play a vital role in achieving the best health outcomes,” he said.

“It is true that it is becoming harder to attract doctors to regional areas but the fact is that this is an essential service so government cannot just put it in the “too hard” basket.

“Both the state and federal government have an interest and a role in ensuring the Herbert Street Medical Centre is saved and the patients, and staff, deserve to see both levels of government cooperating rather than passing the buck.”

He said regardless of where Queenslanders lived, they should be able to access healthcare services.

Dawson MP Andrew Wilcox, LNP.

Dawson MP Andrew Willcox said he had been in contact with Ms Parter, and was seeking a business case or plan to understand what they’d like to see happen moving forward.

“I’m keen to do what we can to attract more GPs into all of Dawson, and retain them,” he said.

“Otherwise it puts extra pressure on the public system, and the ED department gets overloaded. They are busy enough right now.”

The medical centre is encouraging patients and the community to reach out to their local members, state and federal health departments and ministers, along with Whitsundays Mayor Ry Collins.

This publication contacted Queensland Health Minister Shannon Fentiman and Mr Collins but did not receive responses before publishing.