The only doctor's service in the Central Highlands town of Ouse has abruptly closed, plunging more than 1,000 patients into uncertainty.The centre was renamed Highland Rural Health on April 1, after Dr Meg McKeown took on ownership
The practice, which transferred into new ownership earlier this month, has taken down its sign and disconnected its phone and email services, leaving residents with lots of unanswered questions. "Every month, either myself or my wife have to get a special script made up and we need a doctor to do that, and now we don't have a doctor," he said.
Mr Woods has begun the search for a new doctor, but a lack of availability at neighbouring practices means he might have to travel more than an hour to go to the Hobart suburb of Rosny. The Bothwell GP clinic only operates two days a week and the practice at New Norfolk has been closed to new patients for more than a year, leaving residents looking for a new doctor with little choice but to travel long distances.The Derwent Valley Medical Centre's Lester Pepingco said he felt for the Central Highlands community, but could not take on any more patients."We just don't have the capacity to accept new patients.
We are going backwards in the dark ages, no medical, no homes, no edu and Neanderthals running countries
In NSW, some local council areas can only attract rural doctors by providing a house and surgery at rate payers cost. This has been happening in rural towns for decades. The govt health depts need to pull out their finger and start spending some money to keep the doctors in town
CGWJS54139911 Can ScottyTheCompletePsycho cosplay a doctor for a bit?
Queens beach medical centre in Bowen will also be closing
Governments in general have been a dismal failure in regional health. If they want people to move out there they need to ensure reliable basic infrastructure, not keep letting the towns die. Another market failure.
is ok, china will be here soon and fix it