Whitsunday GP under fire for Melbourne Cup medical certificate text

A Queensland medical practice has come under fire for trying to advertise medical certificates to those who “overexerted” themselves at Melbourne Cup celebrations.

A controversial message sent by a medical practice on Melbourne Cup day which was offering its clients with sick leave certificates has been the subject of debate.

A Queensland medical practice has come under fire for trying to advertise medical certificates to those who “overexerted” themselves at Melbourne Cup celebrations.

Whitsunday residents took to Facebook to slam Cannonvale Medical Centre after receiving a text message from the clinic.

“Needing a medical cert for tomorrow? Book in with one of our friendly GPs,” the text read.

Whitsunday resident Clint Fisher said it was “extremely unprofessional to say the least”.

“People are trying to run a business without doctor’s surgeries trying to upsell doctor’s certificates for being hungover,” Mr Fisher posted to the Whitsundays Noticeboard Facebook group.

Have you overexerted yourself today?

While some queried whether the text was a scam, the GP practice had also advertised the medical certificates on its Facebook page, coupled with a picture of a clear liquor glass with an etching of a racehorse.

“Have you overexerted yourself today? Do you require a medical certificate for tomorrow? Schedule an appointment … ” the Facebook post stated.

That post has since been edited to add this line:

“We’ve had a large number of gastro, allergic reactions, injuries, asthma, heatstroke and other medical issues this afternoon …”

Cannonvale Medical Centre came under fire after its call-out for patients to get medical certificates just hours after Melbourne Cup Day festivities. Picture: Facebook

Momentum Health, which manages several GP practices including Cannonvale Medical Centre, insisted the texts and Facebook posts were aimed at “tak(ing) the pressure off small local hospitals” post Melbourne Cup.

“It was mainly targeted towards people enjoying themselves out in the sun,” Momentum Health Managing Director Oliver Bowers said, adding patients had presented at their centres with a record number of serious sunstrokes and unintentional injuries from Tuesday’s festivities.

“(The texts and Facebook posts were) for marketing purposes, that’s all,” Mr Bowers said.

He said Momentum Health medical centres had seen record numbers of serious sunstrokes and unintentional injuries on that day, which had prompted the messages.

Medical centres in the Whitsunday region have been understaffed, which is mirrored in the rest of the state where patients have to compete with getting GP appointments.