Mount Gambier GP Richard Try is looking forward to opening a new Medicare Urgent Care Clinic in the Blue Lake city next month, which he believes will have a significant impact on waiting times at the local hospital.
The new clinic, which will operate seven days a week, will be located opposite his existing Mount Gambier Family Health clinic, and run as a separate health facility.
Dr Try said there would be no change to his existing clinic or patients, with the new urgent care clinic a walk in facility designed specifically to reduce the volume of people seeking treatment at the Mount Gambier Hospital.
“This will be a clinic that will have the nurses, nurse practitioners and a GP,” he said.
“It is intended to treat acute short term illnesses or injuries, only minor injuries, things that do not really need to go to the emergency department, but just need someone to quickly deal with and then send them back to their own GP.
“The idea is that someone comes in and leaves again within two hours.”
Dr Try said it was intended the new clinic will reduce the minor injuries and minor illnesses presentations at the Mount Gambier Hospital emergency department.
“This can account for quite a significant number of presentations,” he said.
“So, rather than having to wait up there for four hours or so to be seen, you can come to see someone here and free up time for the doctors and nurses at the hospital to see the more serious cases.”
Dr Try said he was “well on the way” to staffing the new clinic.
“We have got admin staff sorted, we have got nurses on board already and we are in the process of recruiting doctors,” he said.
“We plan to operate seven days a week with the intended hours being 7am to 10pm, but that will be dependent on staffing.”
Dr Try said he wanted to reiterate that for his existing clinic it would be business as usual.
“It’s also business as usual for the other GPs in town as well as this new clinic is not intended to take any work away from them or any patients away from them,” he said.
“You cannot register with this clinic as a patient to receive long term care outside the initial presentation.
“This is not an alternative to your GP as such, you might come to this clinic for the sprains and strains and the lacerations for suturing or dressing.
“It might be the odd thing you might not be able to get into GP that day due to staffing pressures but rather than going to the emergency department with it, you can come and get checked.”
Dr Try said the new clinic would not have x-ray facilities on site, however he had negotiated with Benson Radiology to offer that service in conjunction with the clinic.
“I can absolutely see a need for this new clinic, my colleagues at the emergency department have told me how many more presentations they’re getting over the last five years compared to what they used to get,” he said.
“I can see a need for trying to support them in that way.
“I just want to stress that this will not be a new clinic that you can register with. It will be that once we have seen a patient they will be discharged to their regular GP, we’re not able to treat your diabetes, your blood pressure, your arthritis, all of things that you see your regular GP for.
“Upon discharge the patient will be given a letter for their GP to follow up.”
Country SA PHN chief executive Mark Hartigan is looking forward to the opening of the new clinic.
“Country SA PHN is very pleased to fund the Mount Gambier Medicare Urgent Care Clinic and support Mount Gambier Family Health to establish and operate the clinic,” he said.
“We are glad the Limestone Coast community will be able to receive timely urgent care while easing pressure on the local hospital.”
