Vol. No. Vol. 2518No. 2327
Wednesday,December January 13, 2016 Wednesday, 7, 2022
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RIDE FOR MENTAL HEALTH: Horsham’s Tyler Doyle, six, has done his bit for men’s mental health this November. Tyler, not old enough to grow a moustache for the global ‘Movember’ campaign that raises money for men’s mental health, instead walked and rode his bike 60 kilometres – a kilometre for every man who will take his own life, each hour, across the world. Tyler has raised more than $1000 in his pursuit. He completed a mammoth 18-kilometre ride on the way to his goal, as well as a three-kilometre stretch on his scooter during ‘torrential’ November rain. Tyler said he was participating in Movember to save lives. People can still donate to Tyler’s Movember page at au.movember.com/mospace/14795147#
Clinics in question F
BY JESSICA GRIMBLE
ederal funding for a Wimmera medical clinic operating in direct response to the COVID-19 pandemic has almost dried up. Horsham’s Lister House Medical Clinic has run its GP-led Respiratory Clinic, GPRC – one of 97 federallyfunded clinics – since early-2020. Chief executive Amanda Wilson said funding was due to cease on December 31 and despite desperate contact with the government and MPs, communication about its future was not forthcoming. She vowed the respira tory clinic would continue its work regardless – but suggested
it could become an extension of the private-practice Lister House and consultations might incur a fee. “We’re not going to let our community down,” she said. “If people are genuinely sick, they go to the respiratory clinic. We’re seeing 50 people a day, on average – and these are people who would otherwise be at the emergency department or medical clinics and spreading germs and viruses to other people.” A Federal Department of Health and Aged Care spokeswoman said the GPRC program had scaled back since August. “This government will make further decisions on Australia’s national
COVID-19 response for 2023 shortly,” the spokeswoman said. “The government continues to invest in primary care, and is focused on strengthening Medicare and making it easier to see a doctor. The government is confident that sufficient coverage will remain in place to protect Australians with moderate respiratory symptoms through further waves.” Federal Member for Mallee Dr Anne Webster wrote to Health Minister Mark Butler a fortnight ago calling for clarity on the future funding for the Horsham clinic. She is yet to receive a response. Dr Webster said some GPRCs were transferring to urgent care clinics, but
their locations were not confirmed. Mrs Wilson said the clinic was unsuccessful in its bid for State Government funding to continue the respiratory clinic as a priority primary care clinic, PPCC. The state funding, akin to its federal counterpart, is designed to ease pressure on hospitals. The closest clinic is UFS Pharmacy in Ballarat. “We always knew the funding wasn’t forever – but we’re not getting any direction as to what comes next and we are three weeks from the end of the contract,” Mrs Wilson said. “We have to have staff. I know other places where staff are leaving, right on Christmas,
because they’re uncertain about the future of their jobs. “If the government turned GPRCs into primary or urgent care clinics, we could swap into that on January 1.” Member for Lowan Emma Kealy expressed concern that after December 31, the closest free PCR testing to the Wimmera was at Ballarat. “We have a critical shortage of GPs in this region, and a lot of people have relied on going to the respiratory clinic to either get tested quickly, or to be seen to and have access to antibiotics or other respiratory-related treatment they would have otherwise had to wait longer to access,” she said. • Health expert’s message, page 9
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