No afterhours doctors for hospital ED

THE Leongatha community has been quick to express concern this week about moves to “downgrade” afterhours, urgent care services at the Leongatha Hospital.

Speaking about the announcement on Monday, September 12 that local doctors have had to withdraw their support for the Gippsland Southern Health Service’s Urgent Care Centre, from “9pm to 8am and some weekends”, Anthony Walls of the Leongatha Business Association said the community was entitled to a full explanation.

Instead of local doctors being available as the need requires, the health service is “expanding its telehealth model of care overnight and at the weekend using out-of-area doctors”.

“We’ve got a beautiful, big, new hospital up there however while such services as maternity, chemotherapy and aged care are well supported, I think we’re entitled to expect doctors on call for our Urgent Care Centre as well,” Mr Walls said.

“To be honest, I didn’t think they could ‘downgrade’ the urgent care service we already have because it’s already pretty basic.

“And that’s no reflection on our staff. They do an amazing job, but they need to be better supported, with more doctors and more nurses, and that goes for the health system state-wide. No wonder it’s an election issue,” he said.

The health service is claiming the changes are an improvement but the Leongatha Hospital’s own staff have raised the red flag.

“Gippsland Southern Health Service’s (GSHS) Urgent Care Centre will be expanding its successful telehealth model of care overnight and on some weekends,” GSHS said in a joint media statement with the Leongatha Healthcare group.

“In this model, the patient is seen ‘virtually’ by a doctor who specialises in emergency medicine, assisted by the registered nurse at GSHS. The telehealth model has been tested across regional Victoria with excellent results.

“GSHS has been using telehealth services for several years but will now be using doctors from outside the region.

“Most people attending the Urgent Care Centre during these times won’t notice any difference in how they are assessed and treated.

“The impact of COVID 19 across a range of health services required a review of the way emergency care is provided at the GSHS Leongatha Campus.”

The health service acknowledged that the Urgent Care Centre has had long standing support from local general practitioners at Leongatha Healthcare. Director of Nursing Vivienne Low said GSHS was thankful for this support.

“Unfortunately, it has become increasingly difficult for local GPs to cover all hours at the Leongatha hospital and to preserve our excellent maternity and surgical services. Therefore, in collaboration with Leongatha Healthcare we will be moving to a telehealth model of care for GSHS’s Urgent Care Centre from 9pm to 8am and some weekends,” Ms Low said.

According to GSHS, upon presentation at the Urgent Care Centre, patients will be assessed as usual and if the injury or illness requires ongoing care in hospital, they may be admitted to Leongatha Hospital or arrangements will be made for transfer to the appropriate metropolitan or regional health service.

Ms Low said this model has been tested throughout Victoria with excellent results and ensures that patients receive access to emergency physicians when required.

The Urgent Care Centre at the GSHS Korumburra campus will continue to function under the current service model.

In what GSHS claimed as “an exciting new initiative”, GSHS has also been approved to join a telehealth project, in partnership with the Alfred Hospital, “to improve outcomes for patients presenting to the Urgent Care Centre with chest pain”.

They said the background work of this initiative was being done at the moment with plans to be implemented in November 2022.

GSHS also reminds local residents that if a transfer from Urgent Care to another health service is required, you will be billed by Ambulance Victoria. It is important that you have ambulance membership to cover the costs. 

“Gippsland Southern Health Service will continue to enjoy the strong ties with our Leongatha Healthcare colleagues and work together to deliver our mission of building a healthier community in South Gippsland,” Ms Low added.

But staff at the hospital have already expressed their concern, one of them writing anonymously to the Sentinel-Times on Friday to let the public know about the withdrawal of local doctors from supporting afterhours urgent care at Leongatha Hospital.

“This leaves the Urgent Care/Emergency Department with no doctor on call, other than talking to a computer doctor. The GPs are pulling out from Monday, September 12!”

The staff member said hospital management was “not supporting the nursing staff in this radical and potentially very dangerous situation”.

Gippsland Southern Health Service (GSHS) is the major public healthcare provider in the South Gippsland Shire. The health service has a number of sites across the shire including the Korumburra Hospital, Leongatha Hospital, Alchera House and Hillside Lodge in Korumburra and Koorooman House in Leongatha.

The facilities provide a range of acute, primary health and residential services.

Acute Services include but are not limited to: Chemotherapy, General Medicine, General Surgery, Gynaecology, Infection Prevention & Control, Paediatrics, Urology and Operating Theatres.

Leongatha Hospital’s Maternity Services are comprehensive, well supported and well regarded.