Pressure fears for hospitals

THE loss of one of the city’s only two home doctor services is something that could have a major impact.

Sickness is seldom convenient. It does not always strike during standard GP opening hours. So what recourse do you have if you need a doctor and you just cannot go to your normal doctor?

For many people, the next port of call is a trip to the emergency department, even if their illness does not fall in the category of an emergency.

It is to be hoped that the closure of Townsville’s home- visiting 13 SICK service won’t put extra pressure on hospitals. This would only cause waiting times to get longer and make it harder for medical staff to provide efficient service to people in desperate need of it.

Dawson MP George Christensen recently told people that if they could not afford to go to a GP they could always go to an emergency department.

From the looks of some of the things being treated at Townsville Hospital’s emergency department, some people are already taking that approach.

Patients are presenting at the hospital with splinters, nose bleeds, ingrown hairs and even hiccups.

Generally the community has a good understanding of when to go to the ED and when their GP is a better option, but outside of conventional medical centre hours, people make different choices.

A mother with a sick child may want to see a doctor as soon as possible. Someone in pain may not want to wait through the night.

A home doctor service was one option for those people who for whatever reason need treatment at night or on weekends.

Where capital cities have more services providing out- of- hours care, North Queensland does not have that luxury.

As our city grows, access to vital services is going to be key. People may talk about wanting certain chain stores, different fast food restaurants and other little additions, but when it comes down to it, medical service accessibility trumps it all.