Lauderdale clinic to close after “extremely difficult” decision
A GP clinic just 30 minutes from Hobart has announced its impending closure after struggling to attract doctors for its vacancies.
Tasmania
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Another GP has announced the impending closure of its Lauderdale clinic as the state continues to struggle with attracting and retaining GPs.
Easter Shore Doctors Lauderdale has notified patients it will close its doors at the end of May after being unable to hire replacements for a GP who retired in late March.
“With several of our long-serving doctors recently retired and others relocating, Eastern Shore Doctors Lauderdale has been reviewing a range of options to ensure we can continue to serve our community,” a spokeswoman for the clinic said.
“Despite efforts to actively recruit for some time, Australia’s GP shortage has made attracting new doctors extremely difficult.
“As such, Eastern Shore Doctors Lauderdale will be merging with nearby Eastern Shore Doctors Bellerive from 3rd June this year.”
The final day of the Lauderdale clinic will be May 31, with the merger to begin from June 3.
The clinic also assured patients the current Lauderdale staff would be transferred to the Bellerive clinic.
Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) Tasmania Chair Dr Toby Gardner said issues in attracting and retaining GP continued nationally.
“Current GPs are ageing out of the workforce across Australia and we don’t have the amount of doctors coming in, nor staying in general practice, to replace them,” Dr Gardner said.
“Older doctors don’t want to work the continued longer hours or overtime required as a GP and younger doctors are hesitant to enter the GP field.”
Dr Gardner also said current initiatives in place or suggested to increase GP retention didn’t go far enough in directing more young doctors to study and stay in regional and rural areas.
“The RACGP has had conversations with all levels of government about subsidising the costs of retraining overseas doctors who wish to move and practice in regional areas,” he said.
“Programs like the extended medicine degree study in Burnie are great and will help to keep young, well-trained doctors in rural areas, but it’s far too slow for the amount of doctors we need.”
Federal member for Franklin Julie Collins said she had brought the closure up with the federal health minister Mark Butler and had been “assured” the health department was supporting patients to access primary care services into the future.
“All tiers of Government need to not focus on blaming each other but instead work together constructively to address health challenges,” she said.
“The Government’s ongoing commitment to improving access to healthcare across Australia was reflected in the last Budget, with a historic $6.1 billion investment in Medicare.”
Health minister Guy Barnett said the state government would continue to support Tasmanian GP practices, with additional multi-year funding up to $250,000 a year for individual practice support and funding to pay for the HECs debt of 40 new GPs for five years.
“It’s now time for the Federal Government to step up its support of our GP practices and ensure Tasmanians can access GPs when and where they need it,” Mr Barnett said.
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