Urology changes but service will continue

Urology services are not being removed by West Gippsland Healthcare Group despite some fears that patients will no longer have access to current urologists.

WGHG acting chief executive officer Justin Walsh has confirmed urology services were not ending.

A letter from one of the current urologists to a local patient said “all three of the current urologists have had their admitting rights removed as of late in 2017 and as such will not be able to perform procedures at the hospital.”

Mr Walsh said this was the case but said a new service would be introduced, which would be a more comprehensive service to treat more patients.

Mr Walsh said they had sought expressions of interest to tender out the service from July 1.

“We want to bring about a more comprehensive service for urology.

“At the moment the three urologists manage their own wait list. The new arrangement would be a group that will provide a full service, very similar to the paediatric services,” he said.

Mr Walsh explained the three urologists with current admitting rights at the hospital ran their own surgery lists with their own patients.

He said the new arrangement would allow patients to be pooled to achieve better service levels among the specialists and reduce waiting lists for surgery and appointments.

“This is a favourable thing for the community. It will bring improved continuity of care, pooled wait lists and will; be much more patient focussed.

Mr Walsh said the existing urologists could put in a tender to work as a team with others.

“But we don’t want the fractured service currently provided,” he said.

Mr Walsh said surgery lists should be a shared list between specialists and the hospital to ensure patients were seen to within recommended timeframes.