Medical centre trust chairman steps down

The workload of doctors and nurses at the Bluff Medical Centre is increasing while also becoming more complex, the outgoing trust chairman says.

After four years as the chairman of the Bluff Community Medical Trust, Bob Glassey is stepping down.

The medical staff dealt with a high and complex workload, Glassey said.

One of the challenges was that patients were bringing more complex problems to GPs, who were operating in 15-minute assessment windows, he said.

Patients were waiting until they had multiple problems before they went to see a doctor rather than seeing a doctor when something was wrong.

While the trust operated on a tight budget, the medical practice did well with achieving key performance outcomes, he said.

‘‘We’ve got a good team of nurses and doctors that provide high-quality care.’’

The time commitments of his other roles have led Glassey to his decision to step down from the trust.

He first got involved as its secretary because he had an interest in the medical centre.

‘‘We’ve got a good team of nurses and doctors that provide high-quality care.’’ Bob Glassey, outgoing chairman of the Bluff Community Medical Trust

At the end of his first year, the chairperson at the time, Robyn Horwell, vacated the role and Glassey was voted in.

Sourcing funding for the medical services was not a challenge, but getting money to upgrade systems or facilities was where the trust had to seek outside funding.

The trust recently completed a $12,000 upgrade of its computer system, which it had to self-fund.

While the trust worked to ensure services were running smoothly from day to day, there was also the need to futureproof so the medical centre would be around in 20 years.

Glassey had enjoyed his time on the trust and said the other trust members were constantly striving to do the best for their community.

He officially steps down from the role on August 20. A replacement has not yet been found.