Katherine’s only private GP clinic, Gorge Health, to close today, leaving thousands unable to visit a doctor locally

KATHERINE’S only private GP clinic will close its doors today

KATHERINE’S only private GP clinic will close its doors today, leaving the majority of residents of the Territory’s fourth biggest town unable to visit a doctor.

Gorge Health, Katherine’s only GP service for non-Indigenous residents, will close today as announced in mid-August.

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A potential buyer has been showing interest in the clinic over the past few weeks, but a sale is yet to be finalised.

Gorge Health’s closure means non-Indigenous residents will have to go to the Katherine Hospital emergency department, rely exclusively on Telehealth or drive three hours to Darwin to access GP care.

Indigenous residents will still be able to see a GP locally at the Wurli Wurlinjang Health Service.

The NT Primary Health Network has been working to set up an interim GP service in Katherine, but while the organisation has secured premises and a service provider, it is yet to get a GP to staff the facility.

A NT PHN spokeswoman said the interim service was ready to begin once the organisation found a GP, and it would continue working to try to source one.

“NT PHN is working to have something in place as quickly as possible,” she said.

Gorge Health owner and principal GP Dr PJ Spafford said the clinic had operated in Katherine for 10 years.

He said its closure was “the end of an era”.

He said he had mixed feelings about closing the clinic, but the constant struggle to recruit GPs to Katherine had taken too much of a toll for him to continue.

“I’m very concerned about the closure and where people will get their primary healthcare from, but I just can’t do it anymore,” he said.

“I can’t get doctors to Katherine to work in general practice, and it feels like the situation is never going to be resolved.”

Dr Spafford said there was hope the clinic would find a buyer, in which case it would reopen and he would stay on as a GP.

He said if no sale eventuated, he still planned to stay in Katherine and open a smaller-scale GP clinic, with himself as the only doctor, but he has no immediate plans to do so.

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Katherine MLA Jo Hersey called for the NT government to explain how it would ensure community members could continue to access GP services.

“The (Health) Minister claimed there are contingency plans. What are they? There are concerned people who need to know,” she said.

“Ultimately the best resolution will be for a new buyer to continue the GP clinic’s operation. In the meantime, the Gunner Labor government should explain how it will help out and fill the gap.”

Health Minister Natasha Fyles will discuss the issue with federal government’s Primary Health Network and Health Minister Greg Hunt on Thursday.

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