A western Victorian council will vote on passing a motion of no confidence in Grampians Health after, it claims, a reduction of medical services in the region following the amalgamation of several local health services into Grampians Health in 2021.
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Northern Grampians Shire Council meets Monday night and on its agenda is a motion from Cr Rob Haswell to pass a motion of no confidence in Grampians Health and request a meeting with Victorian health minister Mary-Anne Thomas and premier Daniel Andrews.
The motion though does seek to "express (its) gratitude and ongoing appreciation to the staff and front-line workers of Grampians Health and all health workers in our municipality".
In the notice of motion, published in the council agenda, Cr Haswell outlined how changes in staffing following the amalgamation of Stawell Regional Health along with Edenhope & District Memorial Hospital, Wimmera Health Care Group and Ballarat Health Services into Grampians Health had impacted services to local residents, many of them elderly.
"We were told the amalgamation would lead to an improved and more efficient health service," Cr Haswell wrote.
"They cut the pay of the existing doctors working at the Stawell Medical Centre. as a result we have lost most of those doctors, some of whom had been in Stawell for many years. Consequently we no longer have enough doctors to service our population," he said.
Cr Haswell wrote that difficulties in attracting doctors to work in Stawell, and an acute housing shortage further complicating recruitment, had resulted in a "haphazard arrangement of visiting locums" were now treating patients rather than long-standing doctors who knew their patients, and there were long wait times for appointments.
"Previously we had doctors who were part of the community and were known to our residents, resulting in more effective healthcare."
He also claimed the hospital's effectiveness had reduced because of an absence of doctors, and surgeries had been reduced.
In the notice of motion, Cr Haswell outlined a number of meetings about concerns over the health service, including a public meeting at the hospital earlier this year which about 120 concerned residents attended, and increasing numbers of locals contacting him to lodge complaints.
In a statement, Grampians Health denied Cr Haswell's claims but acknowledges the challenges of recruiting new doctors and healthcare staff to regional areas.
It said doctors wages had increased, rather than decreased, after changing the "fee share" they receive to a rate at or above the standard for regional Victoria.
"This means that a higher percentage or portion of the fees collected from patient consultations, treatments, or procedures is allocated to the doctors providing the services. In other words, the doctors receive a larger share of the revenue generated from the healthcare services they deliver," Grampians Health wrote.
Many of us prefer to see the same doctor each time we require care, and this is a preference we hope to elevate in coming months, with the careful recruitment of new doctors.
- Grampians Health
"The result of our change in wage structure means we are now able to offer competitive wages and attract and retain medical professionals."
There are strong recruitment campaigns underway in Australia and overseas to attract more doctors to Stawell and other Grampians Health sites.
"Many of us prefer to see the same doctor each time we require care, and this is a preference we hope to elevate in coming months, with the careful recruitment of new doctors," the Grampians Health statement said.
"Stawell does have enough doctors to service the population, and getting an appointment within 24-48 hrs is now possible:"
Fees have also been removed for attending the neighbouring Urgent Care Centre at Stawell Hospital, and for having an x-ray, saving patients close to $500,000 in the past year, with the Urgent Care Centre recording a record number of presentations in the past 12 months.
Grampians Health said surgery levels were similar to the same time last year, with endoscopies, orthopedic surgery, gastroenterological, gynaecological, ophthalmological, and ear, nose and throat surgeries all carried out each week and a fully-qualified anaesthetist now working in Stawell every Thursday and Friday which increases the complexity of patients who can be operated on, treating more patients closer to home.
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And a second operating theatre is likely to open next year, doubling surgical capacity.
"Councillor Haswell's motion fails to acknowledge the many great things unfolding at Grampians Health Stawell," Grampians Health wrote.
They include the reintroduction of nursing students and the expansion of nursing traineeships, a four-star rating from the Commonwealth government after re-accreditation of its McPherson Smith Aged Care Community, expansion of local cancer services, increased on-site medical care at the hospital and an increase in allied health activity such as exercise physiology and group programs.
Northern Grampians Shire will vote on the motion at its meeting at the St Arnaud Town Hall on Monday night.
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