Crisis hits GPs

By Tania Martin
EMERALD Medical Centre is closing its doors to all new patients after losing another doctor.
Centre medical director Dr George Somers said he had been forced to make the decision in order to maintain its core function of treating those people on its current patient list.
And he said unless some drastic steps are taken, the remaining doctors will not be able to continue to function.
“The resultant closure of the Emerald Medical Centre would spell the end of primary care to the Emerald, Cockatoo and Gembrook areas,” he said.
Dr Somers said his practice had been forced to close its books to all new patients, close Sunday morning surgeries, delegate after hours visits to a locum service, cease all home visits, except in extreme cases, and cease visits to the Emerald Glades Aged Hostel.
The Eastern Ranges GP Association (ERGPA) has called for the Federal Government to change the region’s current Rural, Regional and Metropolitan (RRMA) 1 classification rating as it doesn’t reflect the social and economic condition of Hills residents.
RRMA classification 1 is a metropolitan rating and is equal to an area such as Toorak or Richmond.
ERGPA chief executive Kristin Michaels said Hills practices are calling for the Government to change the classification to RRMA five, similar to the Yarra Valley.
Ms Michaels said practices in the Yarra Valley have been able to appoint four overseas trained doctors since the region was regraded from RRMA 1, which is classified as metropolitan, to RRMA five, which is considered to be rural.
She said overseas trained doctors are only able to be appointed in rural areas which are equivalent to RRMA five or a higher classification.
Ms Michaels said the Dandenong Ranges RRMA 1 classification meant that GPs were unable to employ any overseas doctors because the Hills are not considered to be a rural area.
ERGPA chairwoman Dr Barbara Inness said the association has called on the Government to recognise the dire needs of these areas and change the RRMA classification in order to allow struggling general practitioners to recruit from a larger pool of trained doctors.
Liberal candidate for Gembrook Simon Wildes has blamed the State Government for the doctor shortages in the Hills.
Mr Wildes said there was widespread doctor shortages in Emerald, Belgrave, Pakenham and Beaconsfield.
“While the State Government seems content with this situation, the Liberal Party has devised a policy aimed at helping the poor health services in these areas,” he said.
However, both Monbulk MP James Merlino and Gembrook MP Tammy Lobato said that it was the Federal Government’s job to regulate GP services.
Mr Merlino said there was a nation-wide shortage of doctors which has been caused by the negligence of the Federal Government that alone has the power to increase the numbers of doctors trained at universities.
Ms Lobato said she has been actively lobbying for a change in the RRMA classification for the hills.
Meanwhile, La Trobe MP Jason Wood said he was aware of the doctor shortages in the Hills and has discussed the issue with both the Prime Minister’s office and Health Minister Tony Abbott.
“I have told them how much stress the doctors in the Hills are under and that it was urgent that more doctors be attracted to the area,” he said.
Mr Wood said he has also passed on to the Health Minister an application from the ERGPA calling for the RRMA classification to be changed.
“It is my job to now see this gets across the line,” he said.
In addition, Mr Wood said he was hoping to put a proposal to the Government for a one-stop-shop medical practice to be built in Belgrave or Upwey-Tecoma and a second in Emerald.
He said these proposed facilities would be shared between doctors and federal money would be used for equipment and facilities.