Sonic HealthPlus clinic shuts, Moranbah left with just one GP

A mining community is losing one of only two GP clinics, with patients learning they’ve lost their doctor through a Facebook post.

Moranbah is losing one of only two GP clinics available to its residents.

The Moranbah community was left “shocked and disappointed” after hearing their beloved health clinic will be suddenly closing its doors.

Sonic HealthPlus closed occupational health services at its clinic in December with all GP services ending January 31.

Sonic Health medical centre in Moranbah is shutting for good, leaving the community with just one remaining GP clinic.

The closure will leave behind only one locally run GP, the Oak Tree Family Medical Centre, sparking fears waiting times will balloon under an already strained system.

Dr Margaret Swenson runs Oak Tree with her son and said she was inundated with 20 new clients on the day the clinic announced it was closing on Facebook.

Known as Dr Mags by her patients, Dr Swenson runs the last remaining GP clinic in Moranbah.

“It wasn’t really enough time and just meant that I’ve had to cancel my leave to get on top of the whole thing,” she said.

“It’ll be a bit of an adjustment.

“Patients’ expectations need to be met in the end.”

Mr Huggett said the first he heard of the closure was through a post of Facebook.

Moranbah business manager Matt Huggett’s family have been long-term patients at Sonic HealthPlus and he says they’ve been left in the dark.

“There was the shock and disappointment. The shock was that they didn’t actually reach out to their patients and that the first that anyone had heard of it was on Facebook,” Mr Huggett said.

“It’s already difficult to see a doctor on the day of your first illness. So how’s this going to continue?

“We will just have to join the waiting queue at Oak Tree.”

Sonic HealthPlus Moranbah is the latest victim of a dark trend plaguing rural medical clinics in recent years.

The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners reported that 184 clinics shut their doors in 2023 when The Toowoomba Clinic went into voluntary administration last year, ending a short three year stint.

Clermont’s Country Practice also announced its closure in May due to permanent doctor shortages, leaving only one doctor to cover the town.

The Herbert Family Medical Centre shut in June, leaving 3000 patients without their doctor.

It was the last bulk-billed medical practice in the Whitsundays.

Moranbah resident Cath Doyle was already “hard up” getting an appointment at Oak Tree but now worries even she will have to reach out elsewhere.

“With two clinics closing, everyone’s going to go to Oak Tree now,” Ms Doyle said.

“If I’m desperate, I’ll have to go to somebody else.”

Federal Member Michelle Landry for Capricornia pointed the finger towards Labor’s “disastrous changes” to the Distribution Priority Areas (DPA), a framework that identifies locations with a shortage of GPs.

Labor expanded DPA catchments allowing GPs to recruit from a greater selection of doctors. But Ms Landry says it’s “draining doctors from regional communities and funnelling them into suburban areas”.

“I think it’s very disappointing that this doctor’s clinic is closing down. As we know there’s a major shortage in regional Australia. The more rural you go the worse it becomes.”

(l-r) Then-Mackay region deputy mayor Belinda Hassan, Mackay MP Julieanne Gilbert, Queensland Premier Steven Miles, Health Minister Shannon Fentiman announcing promised new incentives for GPs. Labor lost the election. Photo: Fergus Gregg.

Health Minister Mark Butler says his government has provided incentives for practitioners to live, work and train in these rural areas.

Places like Moranbah are listed as high priority under the DPA framework, meaning they have access to a range of cash incentives under the scheme.

“We know there’s more to do to keep strengthening Medicare after a decade of cuts and neglect from the LNP, and we are committed to doing it,” he said

Sonic’s closure comes three months after the new Moranbah Hospital was opened, adding 12 beds to their facility as well as new equipment.

A Mackay Health Service spokeswoman said the new hospital is able to provide emergency care at all times to the community.

Burdekin MP Dale Last said he had no intention of leaving Moranbah without medical services.

“Small rural and regional towns all experience the same challenges of distance to tertiary health services, recruitment and retention of staff and access to general practice,” the spokeswoman said.

“To support the enhanced capability of the new Moranbah Hospital, Mackay HHS has developed an alternative medical staffing model of hospital-based Rural Generalists and recruitment is currently being finalised.”

Member for Burdekin, Dale Last, says while attracting doctors to regional areas, and retaining them, is becoming harder, he has “no intention of leaving the Moranbah community without medical services”.

“Both the Health Minister and I have been assured that the Moranbah Hospital and other services are suitably resourced to ensure care for people who live and work in Moranbah and the surrounding area and that, in the near future, additional resources will come online,” he said.

Originally published as Sonic HealthPlus clinic shuts, Moranbah left with just one GP