As The [Naracoorte Community] News deadline loomed last week, the Limestone Coast Local Health Network (LCLHN) was still working on reconnecting telephone services to the Lucindale Health Centre.
And Health Minister Chris Picton expects to hear from a working group regarding nursing services at Lucindale “by the end of this month”.
Once phone lines are reconnected, people within the district from Woolumbool to Greenways, Callendale to Keilira, Reedy Creek, Furner, Spence and everywhere in between would once again be able to contact their health centre.
That is, they will be able to ring the centre and make an appointment, just as they have done for the last 50 years.
But whether they will be able to make an appointment for the next day, or even the same week remains the decision of a small working group.
And whether people will continue to be charged $10 for a blood test among other fees, and fill out several pages of paper work, also remains unknown.
As the deadline loomed, Mayor Patrick Ross said he had met with Limestone Coast Local Health Network (LCLHN) CEO Emma Poland last week for a one on one open honest and frank discussion.
Regarding the nursing service, “we discussed where we are, and where we want to be by the end of April,” Mr Ross said.
“And we also discussed the participants of a local working group.
“We agreed who would participate in the working group.”
Mr Ross expected participants invited to sit on the working group would include three locals – a GP, a nurse practitioner and a community representative.
The working group would also include Ms Poland, and another LCLHN executive.
“It will be pretty tight and the (LCLHN) will be looking to hear what the local nurse and community representatives want for a health service delivery in Lucindale, and how that can be achieved,” Mr Ross said.
“That is the charter, it is that simple.
“The LCLHN will be listening and looking to implement desired changes.”
Mr Ross acknowledged the Lucindale community was still hurting.
Many remained disappointed, anxious, aggrieved, and disengaged about the slashed and reduced services, without any consultation.
“The community representatives including the community nurse will be open for the (general community) to discuss with them what they would like the service to be,” he said.
“That is the community will talk to (the local representatives) to discuss what they want their health service, their nursing service, to look like.
“My belief is that those (representatives) will be asked to state that position (to the working group), and from that meeting there will be some agreement about the next step.
“And, at that point, I imagine those people can go back to the community and the agreed steps will be made public.
“There will be agreed steps and one final meeting within a month to absolutely lock it in as a way forward.
“That is not only the hope of myself. But Emma Poland – and I would think, LCLHN chairman Grant King, and the health minister Chris Picton would think that was a very good outcome.”
Health Minister Chris Picton explained the current health decision making system – via the LCLHN – was put into law by the previous Marshall State Government.
Regarding reduced services at Lucindale, Tintinara and Coonalpyn, Mr Picton highlighted the decisions were made by Local Health networks, and local boards.
“There were no decisions from Adelaide,” Mr Picton said.
“The budgets for the Local Health Networks have increased substantially over the past two years.
“I look forward to hearing from the LCLHN after it holds its first working group meeting – including LCLHN management, staff, GPs, and community – by the end of this month.”
This article appeared in the Naracoorte Community News.
Related stories: Mayor calls for phone to be reinstated, Ssh! Secret meeting!, Nurse Ali ‘saved my leg’, Bureaucrats on notice – working groups to form, Government tells sick and elderly to drive 80km
