Gabrielle Duykers, Naracoorte Community News
A local councillor has implored council to “interfere” and take immediate action to address the shortage of emergency doctors at Naracoorte Hospital.
As previously reported in The News, Naracoorte Hospital has been without a duty doctor three to four days each month during 2021, as a result of expired contracts with rural doctors across the state, as well as locally.
At the Naracoorte Lucindale Council meeting on November 23, mayor Erika Vickery said in a written report she had concerns about the worsening situation.
“It was extremely disappointing to hear that the Naracoorte Hospital will be without an emergency medical officer for part of the next few weeks,” Mrs Vickery said.
“It certainly isn’t a good feeling for us or for our community if we don’t have medical officers available at our hospital.”
In response, councillor Ken Schulz said the doctor shortage had been “brewing for a long time”.
Cr Schultz was a former council representative on the Naracoorte Area Health Advisory Council (NAHAC) alongside Cr Damien Ross, both of whom resigned last year.
“We talked about it when we were on NAHAC and were told that we couldn’t interfere,” Cr Schulz said.
“But I think it’s time the council actually got the doctors together and said ‘come on, surely someone can be on duty over the weekends’.”
Cr Schulz said the emergency care situation was even starting to affect local tourism.
“There’s people coming here knowing that if they hurt themselves there’s no doctors available,” he said.
No accident and emergency doctors are rostered to be on duty at the hospital for five days during December, including Christmas Day and Boxing Day.
Kincraig Medical Clinic has enough work for 15 full time doctors, but now has less than seven.
The State Government is paying locums up to $3000 for 12 hours shifts, but is now struggling to find locums as a result of a severe shortage of rural doctors. Local doctors are currently paid just $285 per 24 hour shift.
In July this year, council CEO Trevor Smart and Mayor Vickery met with NAHAC to present strategic partnership options for the two bodies in an effort to improve health services in the area.
Although NAHAC verbally confirmed it would agree to form the partnership, the two groups are yet to hold another meeting.
Mr Smart said council had put forth a strategic partnership approach to NAHAC, but was still awaiting a reply.
“Health sector services remain a critical component of what our community provides for existing residents and also for attracting and retaining new people to our area,” Mr Smart said.
“To date, we have had minimal feedback as to any progress or intent on forming a strategic partnership to progress outcomes for the health sector and our community.”
Consequently, Mr Smart said council would seek to establish an additional partnership with the Limestone Coast Local Health Network (LCLHN) and “try to get some leverage there”.
He said forming a strategy alongside health sector professionals would allow council to provide more detail and “substance” when lobbying ministers for government funding.
NAHAC presiding member Barrie Moyle said the delay in progressing the partnership with council was due to “other priorities”.
“Our focus is on improving the aged care facility,” Mr Moyle said.
“COVID-19 is also a priority, and with vaccinations and taking temperatures and monitoring who comes in and out of the hospital ‒ all of those things are a total distraction.”
Mr Moyle acknowledged the lack of emergency medical officers at the hospital but said NAHAC had no plans to address the issue.
“It’s out of our hands to be involved,” he said.
“Everybody’s frustrated about the doctor situation but that’s a statewide situation, that’s not just localised in Naracoorte.”
Mr Moyle said NAHAC would aim to meet again with council in early 2022.
“We’re still open to furthering the conversation and exploring what the possibilities are, but we haven’t taken a look at it yet,” he said.
Government contracts with rural doctors around the state expired a year ago, including Naracoorte, which has exacerbated rural GP shortages.
Medical officers for the emergency department at Naracoorte Hospital are provided by Kincraig Medical Clinic and Naracoorte General Practice as part of an ongoing agreement and rosters are managed by those practices.
In a statement, the LCLHN said it would “attempt” to fill the roster if gaps were identified.
“We have arrangements in place to ensure ongoing emergency care to the community, including accessing the South Australian Virtual Emergency Service overnight and MedSTAR support if required,” the statement said.
“All patients presenting to the ED will continue to be assessed and triaged according to their clinical needs, and patients requiring emergency medical attention will be transferred to Mount Gambier Hospital ED.”
The LCLHN is yet to outline any long-term plans to address the shortage of emergency doctors at Naracoorte Hospital.
This article appeared in Naracoorte Community News, 1 December 2021.
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