Developer wants to build Stafford, Kedron’s 22nd medical centre

Worried doctors say the latest medical centre planned for this northside area will lead to an oversupply of GPs and poorer service for patients, taking the total of centres within a four-kilometre radius to 22.

A developer has applied to build the 22nd medical centre within only a 3-4km radius in the Stafford/Kedron area on Brisbane’s northside.

It comes after Council approved Carbone Developments’ application for a 24-hour medical centre last November on the old AMF bowling centre site in Kedron, despite there being 120 doctors practising nearby at the time.

The latest proposal, by the Elouera Group, is at 317 Stafford Rd, opposite a primary school and next to a caryard at the intersection of Webster Rd.

The two-level, 1831 sqm centre, with basement parking, would cost up to $6 million to build and cater for 15 doctors and allied health professionals and operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Elouera has until September 24 to respond to the State Assessment and Referral Agency after it extended its assessment period for the project earlier this week.

Despite the huge number of healthcare facilities in the area, consultants Ethos Urban said in development application documents that an ageing and growing population meant there was demand for more.

Aerial view of the proposed medical centre site. Source: Nearmap/Ethos Urban

It said the “catchment area’’ for the proposed centre had only eight medical centres with a total of 51 GPs, as at October, 2020.

However, an analysis by Quest Newspapers unearthed 21 existing or proposed medical facilities within less than a 5km radius.

NEARBY EXISTING MEDICAL CENTRES

Stafford Medical Centre and Skin Cancer Clinic, 245 Stafford Rd, 1 GP

WIN Health Coach Clinics, 6 Babarra St, 1 GP

Stafford City Doctors/Stafford City Family Practice, 400 Stafford Rd, 10 GPs

Kedron Park 7 Day Medical Centre, cnr Gympie/Brookfield Rds, Kedron, 14 GPs

Kedron Wavell Medical Centre, 232 Gympie Rd, Kedron, 14 GPs

Stafford Heights Medical, 40 Minimine St, Stafford, 9 GPs

Ubuntu Medical, 239 Stafford Rd, 1 GP

Rode Medical Clinic, 734 Rode Rd, Stafford Heights 3GPs

South East Dermatology, three doctors

Wavell Medical Centre, five doctors

Lutwyche Family Pract, five doctors

Junction Road Family Practice, 10 doctors

Stafford City Doctors, 10 doctors

Corrie Street Medical, seven doctors

SmartClinics Chermside, 10 doctors

Family Doctors Plus, 10 doctors

Platinum Medical Centre, nine doctors

Nundah Village Family Practice, nine doctors

Shaw Road Medical Centre, four doctors

NEARBY PROPOSED CENTRES

Kedron Medical Centre, 278 Gympie Rd, 10 GP rooms, four allied health tenancies, 150 sqm pharmacy

Lamington Markets, Lutwyche. A medical centre, physiotherapy, dentist, radiology,

pathology, podiatry, audiology, optometry and health care room. Yet to be

approved.

Kedron Wavell Medical Centre, founded in 1951 by KWMC partner Dr Marea McMahon, was so concerned about the Carbone development that it launched a petition signed by more than 120 of its patients.

Dr McMahon said theirs was a family practice which took the time to treat patients properly.

It also was a teaching practice which provided valuable training to young doctors.

She feared the influx of large new centres might be run by a corporate medical business focused on profits.

An artist's impression of how the medical centre would look. Source: Cottee Parker

She said the area was already at maximum capacity and there was no realistic increase in demand which would justify adding even more doctors

But Ethos Urban said, in the DA documents for the 317 Stafford Rd project, that there were fewer GPs in the area where a “substantial share’’ of customers lived than equivalent areas in Queensland.

“(Kedron Medical Centre) and particularly the Lamington Market proposal will also generate a significant proportion of their patients from beyond the catchment, given their locations towards the edge of the catchment,’’ it said.

Council asked for an assessment on the potential impact the 317 Stafford Rd development on the viability of nearby centres, including one 150m away Stafford Rd.

“From a commercial perspective, the site’s regional accessibility and exposure to passing traffic – due to its location at the prominent Stafford Rd and Webster Rd intersection – are key locational requirements for a successful medical centre development,’’ Ethos said.

How the site could look. Source: Cottee Parker

It said there was a trend to GPs working in larger centres and the catchment would have 45,000 residents by 2025.

There were 12 GPs per 10,000 people in the area, below the 14-16 per 10,000 people in other parts of the state.

The centre would directly employ about 35 people.

“Four of the five closest centres contain medical centres comprising at least eight GPs,’’ it said.

“In view of the presence of medium-to-large medical centres already operating in these locations, it is unlikely that the development of a further (and large) medical centre will occur in these localities.’’

Ethos also said a new centre would not affect nearby “activity’’ centres, but did not speculate on the effect on medical centres.

“The development of a medical centre at the subject site will not lead to any nearby centres becoming economically unviable in their roles,’’ it said.

“Activity centres in general are anchored by retail uses and it is typically competing retail developments that are of concern when considering the trading impact to these existing centres.’’

For more details visit Council’s online development application portal, developmenti, and search for 317 Stafford Rd or application number A005697853