Allied health clinic to be established in Central Highlands if Labor wins federal election

Medical professionals have welcomed a commitment by Labor to establish an accessible regional allied health clinic which will prevent patients needing to fly to Brisbane to get treatment. See the full details.

Central Queensland patients will no longer need to fly to Brisbane for treatment, according to Labor, following a commitment to deliver an allied health clinic if the party wins the federal election.

This week, key figures of the Australian Labor Party are visiting the federal electorate of Flynn, and surrounding areas, in a bid to take the seat from the Coalition.

Stopping at locations including Rockhampton, Mackay and Emerald, Labor will make a number of commitments and announce its plans for the region if successful.

Among the announcements is a $2.8m investment to establish an Allied Health clinic in Emerald.

The Emerald GP Super Clinic was opened in 2015 and with this commitment will be extended into a twin-building facility with allied health services. Picture: supplied.

The clinic will be an extension of the existing Emerald GP Super Clinic, opened in 2015, and will include practice rooms, a measurement and assessment room, and dedicated training facilities.

The funding will also provide facilities for dozens of trainee medical professionals annually across 10 practice rooms, allowing them to conduct their placements in Emerald and service patients in the Central Highlands.

Gladstone Mayor and Labor candidate for Flynn, Matt Burnett said there were too many “heartbreaking stories” of residents forced to take long expensive trips down the Brisbane just to access basic services such as speech therapy or physio.

“Not only that, but some locals are waiting up to six months for psychological appointments … in this day and age, we shouldn’t be waiting until it’s too late to get locals the wrap around care that they need,” Mr Burnett said.

Popular Gladstone Mayor, Matt Burnett is the Labor candidate for the federal electorate of Flynn at the upcoming election expected to be held in May. Picture: Supplied.

The funding is expected to also provide facilities for a number of trainees each year across 10 practice rooms, with placements in Emerald and service patients across Blackwater, The Gemfields and the Central Highlands.

Emerald Medical Group GP Dr Ewen McPhee said the commitment was “absolutely awesome” and would improve accessibility to services in Emerald and the Central Highlands.

“(The region) has been really struggling because we’ve been unable to provide early equitable access to allied health services, including things like podiatry, occupational therapy, and particularly our mental health services,” Dr McPhee said.

“This announcement … to support us in enhanced and extended training of up to 40 allied health students in Emerald and the Central Highlands is absolutely awesome.”

Familiar faces from the Labor Party including Tanya Plibersek, Senator Murray Watt, and Flynn candidate Matt Burnett attended the clinic this week. Picture: supplied.

Shadow Women’s Minister, Tanya Plibersek said as a mother of three she frequently took her kids to the doctors and believed more accessible services were needed across regional communities.

“I think about communities like this where you don’t just have to get an appointment, but wait six weeks and then get in the car and drive three or six hours to get to that appointment,” Ms Plibersek said.

“It’s just not fair, we have to be offering more services closer to home, for more families.”

The Emerald GP Super Clinic was delivered following a funding agreement by the previous Labor government.

Originally published as Allied health clinic to be established in Central Highlands if Labor wins federal election