Future of Leongatha Healthcare thrown into chaos
Staff dispute owner's claims he was forced to close the clinic.
THE future of Leongatha Healthcare has been thrown into chaos after practice owner Dr Chris Webster announced he was forced to close the Koonwarra Road clinic.
But staff have disputed his claims, citing "longstanding concerns" about workplace safety and governance.
Dr Webster told the Herald Sun he was forced to "radically downsize" due to financial pressures partly caused by his involvement in the Erin Patterson mushroom murder case, and planned to reopen a smaller "boutique" practice closer to town.
He said the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners' decision to strip him of his ability to supervise trainee GPs and a "complete lack of support" from fellow GPs had put the practice on a road to "financial oblivion".
However, in a statement sent to the Sentinel-Times on Sunday evening, Leongatha Healthcare staff disputed the claim.
The statement said reports in the Herald Sun and The Age "contain factual inaccuracies that risk misleading patients, staff and the wider community".
"There are a number of complex issues underlying the current situation, including longstanding concerns raised by staff and clinicians regarding workplace safety, governance and the management of the practice by the current owner," the statement said.
The statement said the practice was made up of 18 GPs, five practice nurses and seven administration and reception staff who "remain committed to working collaboratively toward a constructive outcome".
Dr Webster was the on-call doctor who first alerted police to Patterson in 2023 and later labelled her a "disturbed sociopathic nut bag" in media interviews.
He was subsequently slapped with conditions on his registration by the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency.
Nationals MPs Melina Bath and Danny O'Brien said in a joint statement they were working with government agencies to ensure the community could continue to access GP healthcare in Leongatha.
In the meantime, according to Melina Bath, if you are a patient of the Leongatha Healthcare Group and can't get an appointment on Monday or during the week, you can go to:
- The Leongatha Hospital Urgent Care Clinic (where additional staff have been rostered on), 66 Koonwarra Road, Leongatha. Maternity Enquiries 5667 5556
- Nurse-on-call 1300 60 60 24
- In an emergency, as always call 000.
"The focus for all is on patient care and service delivery," said Ms Bath.
