‘TO LOOK AFTER OUR PATIENTS, WE HAVE TO BE WELL’
A new program in some of South West Queensland’s outback towns hopes to tackle a crisis facing the region’s healthcare workers.
Research by the Rural Doctors Foundation (RDF) highlighted that a disproportionate number of rural health practitioners were putting their own health last, and with dire consequences.
The trial to combat the issue took off in Quilpie on May 1.
The RDF’s proposed solution is a program where one general practitioner travels between rural towns, providing care to the healthcare professionals in the area.
Experienced rural GP Dr John Douyere will be the treating doctor in the program’s first run, in Quilpie, Cunnamulla and Charleville.
Dr Douyere was a GP in the outback town of Longreach for 23 years.
“I understand the challenges of accessing healthcare for rural health practitioners,” Dr Douyere said.
“Are you going to spend significant time and energy to go somewhere else to seek care, or are you going to seek care from colleagues?
“Seeking healthcare from colleagues brings a whole set of difficulties if you go that way.
“I’ve certainly seen colleagues as patients, and I’ve been a patient of colleagues.”
Dr Douyere said getting medical help from a colleague could make boundary setting quite different, as the relationship between a doctor and patient is inherently different to a collegial relationship.
“If we want to look after our patients, we have to be well first,” he said.
Dr Douyere said that during his tenure in Longreach, he probably didn’t look after himself as well as he should have.
Dr Douyere also said that during his first day seeing patients in Quilpie on May 1, the patients were receptive and appreciative.
RDF chief executive Fran Avon said that the problem had many facets.
“For some, they might be the only doctor or one of only a few medical professionals in town,” Ms Avon said.
“Of the more than 120 rural and remote health practitioners we surveyed, 42 per cent said they needed to travel out of town – with 20 per cent travelling more than 800km to receive independent and confidential healthcare.”
She said choosing a practitioner to take the role was challenging, but due to his experience and intimate understanding of challenges posed to rural doctors, Dr Douyere was a perfect choice.