SURGERY SHUTS AS GP CRISIS HITS HARD
Elderly patients fearful that they may miss out on vital medical attention
A busy doctor’s surgery in a fastgrowing area on Hobart’s Eastern Shore has shut, leaving hundreds of patients, including many elderly residents, “upset and frightened” and community leaders feeling abandoned and angry.
Dr Collie Mullins, the owner and director of Healthology, said she was unable to get GPs to work at the Risdon Vale practice she has run for the past five years.
“Unfortunately there’s no interest from GPs to work here and we just can’t operate on locums because we haven’t got the money to pay and patients need a long-term doctor,” she said.
“Older GPs who’ve served us well are retiring but we can assure patients that we can see them at Rosny and Rokeby.
“We’re proud of the practice. It’s a sad day.”
Meg Quilliam, 77, who has a serious back injury, has been a patient for 60 years and is “absolutely devastated” it has closed.
She says she is unable to travel in a car for longer than 15 minutes.
“I’ve no idea what I am going to do, it is really upsetting me,” Ms Quilliam said.
“I lie awake at night thinking about it. I need very strong painkillers that you can’t get repeats for so I go to the doctor a couple of times a week.
“My husband died on Christmas Day and my three children don’t live here.
“There will be other elderly people like me who don’t have a licence so they just won’t go to the doctor.”
Mrs Quilliam said the surgery was always busy and she hoped a doctor could visit just a few days a week.
Malcolm Pearce, 83, and his wife, a diabetic, are regular patients at the surgery and he says he will now have to drive to Rosny.
“It’s a real pain in the neck,” he said. “I’ll have to drive to Eastlands, which is a hell of a place that I avoid like the plague.”
Helen Courto, who cares for her mother and brother, said she was worried about the impact on elderly residents. “Many of them wouldn’t know how to catch a bus so it will be very hard for them,” she said.
“It is very upsetting because Risdon Vale is getting bigger and bigger and we need a doctor’s surgery.”
Newly elected Labor MP Meg Brown said the closure of the surgery was “a sad day for the community and will hit older patients and those in need of regular medical care particularly hard”.
“It will leave many Risdon Vale residents who are not as mobile as others with few options and, understandably, many are upset and frightened about how they will be able to access a GP,” she said.
Risdon Vale pharmacist Katie
Hayes said she was hoping to meet Health Minister Guy Barnett to discuss the closure.
“There have been closures at other surgeries and we feel Risdon Vale residents have been abandoned,” she said.
“Many won’t be able to afford petrol to travel and it could take a two-hour round trip on a bus.
There will be other elderly people like me who don’t have a licence so they just won’t go to the doctor
Meg Quilliam
Healthology patient
“Financially it’s a sustainable practice if they can find GPs and with so many houses being built it will grow by a third.”
Clarence Mayor Brendan Blomeley said it was “extremely disappointing”.
“This is a fast growing area of our city.
“It’s important Risdon Vale residents have access to medical services they require,” Mr Blomeley said. “I call on the Health Minister and government to step up and ensure appropriate health services are delivered.”
Mr Barnett was returning from interstate and unable to comment before deadline.
Labor health spokeswoman Ella Haddad said that the closure followed similar situations at St Marys, Bridgewater and East Devonport, leaving these communities without access to GP services in their communities.
“It is simply unacceptable to have Tasmanian communities without health services, leaving residents vulnerable and at risk,” Ms Haddad said.
The practice had 12,638 patient bookings last year and 1395 active patients.