Lack of healthcare services and doctors on the West Coast causing concern

Not being able to access healthcare services has become the norm for many on the West Coast, according to the council. What’s needed to fix the problem?

Queenstown main street, Queenstown Tasmania. 02/03/2023 photo - Peter Mathew

Problems attracting doctors to work and live on the West Coast are contributing to a lack of healthcare services in the region, the council says.

The West Coast Council is concerned about the limited health care options and the manager of several GP clinics in the area says trouble attracting doctors lies at the heart of the issue.

Ochre Health runs clinics at Strahan, Queenstown, Zeehan and Rosebery.

“It’s a bit of a struggle getting doctors over there permanently,” Ochre Health Tasmania regional manager Darren Fraser said.

“We have to support the workforce with fly-in, fly-out locum doctors.

“Allied health is something we could get more of over there to support the local communities and support the doctors.”

Ochre Health regional manager Tasmania Darren Fraser. Picture: Ochre Health

Mr Fraser said Ochre Health was keen to meet with local leaders to discuss ways to improve services on the West Coast.

“We need to work out what we can do to attract doctors to the area,” he said.

“To attract a doctor into an area, we need housing, we need support for them to bring a family in.

“I’d encourage the local leaders to get in touch with our practice managers over there and talk to them about what we could do as a community to help attract doctors into the towns.”

West Coast Mayor Shane Pitt said a lack of adequate health services in the region significantly affected the community.

“The community is frustrated by the lack of services and need to travel out of the region just to get even the most basic of health care,” he said.

“For the working poor, who simply cannot afford to take a day off work, take the kids out of school for the day and travel to Burnie, just to see a dentist or other health care professional, they are simply not doing it.

“This is creating further health consequences for them by being unable to get preventative care.”

Premier Jeremy Rockliff said the government was working closely with the West Coast Council and other key stakeholders.

“We are working on accommodation provision to attract 90 health workers and others across very important frontline services such as education,” he said.

“We’ve also recently upgraded the West Coast District Hospital, including equipment, partnerships with the Royal Flying Doctor Service and dental health provision.

“But we are also working solidly on the redevelopment of the hospital emergency department, and we have an ambulance station at Queenstown that recently opened.”