❓ Mr Jacob raises concerns about a GP shortage in Broome. Minister Hames outlines steps taken to address the issue, including securing potential funding and facilitating the establishment of a new practice.
AnsweredQoN 96Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
RURAL GENERAL PRACTITIONERS — SHORTAGE
It is my understanding that there is a severe shortage of general practitioners in rural Western Australia. Recently, I read reports about an acute GP shortage in Broome. It is essential for adequate GP services to be available in Broome, as it is an important tourist destination and those services would ease the pressure on the town’s emergency departments. Can the minister inform the house of his plan to ensure GP coverage in Broome? Dr K.D. HAMES
It is my understanding that there is a severe shortage of general practitioners in rural Western Australia. Recently, I read reports about an acute GP shortage in Broome. It is essential for adequate GP services to be available in Broome, as it is an important tourist destination and those services would ease the pressure on the town’s emergency departments. Can the minister inform the house of his plan to ensure GP coverage in Broome? Dr K.D. HAMES
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for that excellent question. It is very important to talk about Broome. Unfortunately, the member for Kimberley is not in the chamber to hear this answer, as she is concerned about this issue and Broome is a central part of her electorate. The lack of GPs in Broome has been going on for sometime. This matter was raised by the federal member for Kalgoorlie, Mr Barry Haase, during the federal election campaign and it was also raised during the state election campaign. The GP practice in Dakas Street, Broome, which was a privately run practice, has closed because of the costs associated with running it. The GPs who worked there decided that they could not continue to practise there. The practice in the town that is run by Dr Singh has recently closed its books and another practice is run by Dr Jenson, who is aged 69 and is about to retire. His practice is for sale but there have been no buyers as yet. The Broome Regional Aboriginal Medical Service provides services to not only Aboriginal patients but also some non-Aboriginal patients. However, because of the closure of the Dakas Street surgery, which attended to a large number of patients, the Broome Regional Aboriginal Medical Service has also had to close its books. The federal and state governments have been asked what can be done to resolve this situation. Prior to the election, I committed to going to Broome and soon after the election I met with a large number of people, including doctors, health staff and Aboriginal medical staff, to find a solution. I am pleased to announce that we have found a solution, in part. Upon becoming the Minister for Health, I met the federal Minister for Health and Ageing, Hon Nicola Roxon, and had discussions about this matter with her. I must say that I found her to be very cooperative in trying to find a solution. Funding of $500 000 can be made available to help assist setting up practices in remote locations. An application for that funding has been made and the federal minister has said that she will be happy to make sure that it is considered as a priority. In the meantime, a doctor who has been working within the Broome hospital system has decided to set up a private practice. We were looking at providing a building owned by the state government that is located next door to the hospital. However, it turns out that the doctor has found premises of his own just along the road. He has found a second doctor who is willing to work with him and he is talking to a third doctor who will hopefully go there in the future. We are assisting the doctor in negotiations with the council, which is supportive of this arrangement, to ensure that the approvals are made in a timely manner so that the doctors can set up the alternative practice. Dr Singh currently charges an $80 fee for patients to visit his surgery. Unfortunately he has closed his books. He has been bulk-billing pensioners and disadvantaged people but during our meeting with him he said that he was thinking of not doing that in the future, so that everyone would be charged an $80 consultation fee plus a $100 transfer fee if patients choose to go somewhere else and he needs to send on their records. I made it clear at that visit that I was not impressed with that proposal. In the meantime, we think we have found a way to address the matter with the goodwill and cooperation of the other doctors. The new practice will open in January next year. Hopefully it will get the $500 000 funding support from the federal government to help set it up. Even if the doctors do not get that funding, they intend to proceed with setting up the practice and the state government will assist them if that is required. Hopefully that issue will be resolved. There are other issues regarding the renal unit, and we are looking at different options to provide an additional general practice with a registrar regional practice system whereby the registrars doing GP work operate on a rotational basis.
Dr K.D. HAMES replied: I thank the member for that excellent question. It is very important to talk about Broome. Unfortunately, the member for Kimberley is not in the chamber to hear this answer, as she is concerned about this issue and Broome is a central part of her electorate. The lack of GPs in Broome has been going on for sometime. This matter was raised by the federal member for Kalgoorlie, Mr Barry Haase, during the federal election campaign and it was also raised during the state election campaign. The GP practice in Dakas Street, Broome, which was a privately run practice, has closed because of the costs associated with running it. The GPs who worked there decided that they could not continue to practise there. The practice in the town that is run by Dr Singh has recently closed its books and another practice is run by Dr Jenson, who is aged 69 and is about to retire. His practice is for sale but there have been no buyers as yet. The Broome Regional Aboriginal Medical Service provides services to not only Aboriginal patients but also some non-Aboriginal patients. However, because of the closure of the Dakas Street surgery, which attended to a large number of patients, the Broome Regional Aboriginal Medical Service has also had to close its books. The federal and state governments have been asked what can be done to resolve this situation. Prior to the election, I committed to going to Broome and soon after the election I met with a large number of people, including doctors, health staff and Aboriginal medical staff, to find a solution. I am pleased to announce that we have found a solution, in part. Upon becoming the Minister for Health, I met the federal Minister for Health and Ageing, Hon Nicola Roxon, and had discussions about this matter with her. I must say that I found her to be very cooperative in trying to find a solution. Funding of $500 000 can be made available to help assist setting up practices in remote locations. An application for that funding has been made and the federal minister has said that she will be happy to make sure that it is considered as a priority. In the meantime, a doctor who has been working within the Broome hospital system has decided to set up a private practice. We were looking at providing a building owned by the state government that is located next door to the hospital. However, it turns out that the doctor has found premises of his own just along the road. He has found a second doctor who is willing to work with him and he is talking to a third doctor who will hopefully go there in the future. We are assisting the doctor in negotiations with the council, which is supportive of this arrangement, to ensure that the approvals are made in a timely manner so that the doctors can set up the alternative practice. Dr Singh currently charges an $80 fee for patients to visit his surgery. Unfortunately he has closed his books. He has been bulk-billing pensioners and disadvantaged people but during our meeting with him he said that he was thinking of not doing that in the future, so that everyone would be charged an $80 consultation fee plus a $100 transfer fee if patients choose to go somewhere else and he needs to send on their records. I made it clear at that visit that I was not impressed with that proposal. In the meantime, we think we have found a way to address the matter with the goodwill and cooperation of the other doctors. The new practice will open in January next year. Hopefully it will get the $500 000 funding support from the federal government to help set it up. Even if the doctors do not get that funding, they intend to proceed with setting up the practice and the state government will assist them if that is required. Hopefully that issue will be resolved. There are other issues regarding the renal unit, and we are looking at different options to provide an additional general practice with a registrar regional practice system whereby the registrars doing GP work operate on a rotational basis.
I thank the member for that excellent question. It is very important to talk about Broome. Unfortunately, the member for Kimberley is not in the chamber to hear this answer, as she is concerned about this issue and Broome is a central part of her electorate. The lack of GPs in Broome has been going on for sometime. This matter was raised by the federal member for Kalgoorlie, Mr Barry Haase, during the federal election campaign and it was also raised during the state election campaign. The GP practice in Dakas Street, Broome, which was a privately run practice, has closed because of the costs associated with running it. The GPs who worked there decided that they could not continue to practise there. The practice in the town that is run by Dr Singh has recently closed its books and another practice is run by Dr Jenson, who is aged 69 and is about to retire. His practice is for sale but there have been no buyers as yet. The Broome Regional Aboriginal Medical Service provides services to not only Aboriginal patients but also some non-Aboriginal patients. However, because of the closure of the Dakas Street surgery, which attended to a large number of patients, the Broome Regional Aboriginal Medical Service has also had to close its books. The federal and state governments have been asked what can be done to resolve this situation. Prior to the election, I committed to going to Broome and soon after the election I met with a large number of people, including doctors, health staff and Aboriginal medical staff, to find a solution. I am pleased to announce that we have found a solution, in part. Upon becoming the Minister for Health, I met the federal Minister for Health and Ageing, Hon Nicola Roxon, and had discussions about this matter with her. I must say that I found her to be very cooperative in trying to find a solution. Funding of $500 000 can be made available to help assist setting up practices in remote locations. An application for that funding has been made and the federal minister has said that she will be happy to make sure that it is considered as a priority. In the meantime, a doctor who has been working within the Broome hospital system has decided to set up a private practice. We were looking at providing a building owned by the state government that is located next door to the hospital. However, it turns out that the doctor has found premises of his own just along the road. He has found a second doctor who is willing to work with him and he is talking to a third doctor who will hopefully go there in the future. We are assisting the doctor in negotiations with the council, which is supportive of this arrangement, to ensure that the approvals are made in a timely manner so that the doctors can set up the alternative practice. Dr Singh currently charges an $80 fee for patients to visit his surgery. Unfortunately he has closed his books. He has been bulk-billing pensioners and disadvantaged people but during our meeting with him he said that he was thinking of not doing that in the future, so that everyone would be charged an $80 consultation fee plus a $100 transfer fee if patients choose to go somewhere else and he needs to send on their records. I made it clear at that visit that I was not impressed with that proposal. In the meantime, we think we have found a way to address the matter with the goodwill and cooperation of the other doctors. The new practice will open in January next year. Hopefully it will get the $500 000 funding support from the federal government to help set it up. Even if the doctors do not get that funding, they intend to proceed with setting up the practice and the state government will assist them if that is required. Hopefully that issue will be resolved. There are other issues regarding the renal unit, and we are looking at different options to provide an additional general practice with a registrar regional practice system whereby the registrars doing GP work operate on a rotational basis.
The federal and state governments have been asked what can be done to resolve this situation. Prior to the election, I committed to going to Broome and soon after the election I met with a large number of people, including doctors, health staff and Aboriginal medical staff, to find a solution. I am pleased to announce that we have found a solution, in part. Upon becoming the Minister for Health, I met the federal Minister for Health and Ageing, Hon Nicola Roxon, and had discussions about this matter with her. I must say that I found her to be very cooperative in trying to find a solution. Funding of $500 000 can be made available to help assist setting up practices in remote locations. An application for that funding has been made and the federal minister has said that she will be happy to make sure that it is considered as a priority. In the meantime, a doctor who has been working within the Broome hospital system has decided to set up a private practice. We were looking at providing a building owned by the state government that is located next door to the hospital. However, it turns out that the doctor has found premises of his own just along the road. He has found a second doctor who is willing to work with him and he is talking to a third doctor who will hopefully go there in the future. We are assisting the doctor in negotiations with the council, which is supportive of this arrangement, to ensure that the approvals are made in a timely manner so that the doctors can set up the alternative practice. Dr Singh currently charges an $80 fee for patients to visit his surgery. Unfortunately he has closed his books. He has been bulk-billing pensioners and disadvantaged people but during our meeting with him he said that he was thinking of not doing that in the future, so that everyone would be charged an $80 consultation fee plus a $100 transfer fee if patients choose to go somewhere else and he needs to send on their records. I made it clear at that visit that I was not impressed with that proposal. In the meantime, we think we have found a way to address the matter with the goodwill and cooperation of the other doctors. The new practice will open in January next year. Hopefully it will get the $500 000 funding support from the federal government to help set it up. Even if the doctors do not get that funding, they intend to proceed with setting up the practice and the state government will assist them if that is required. Hopefully that issue will be resolved. There are other issues regarding the renal unit, and we are looking at different options to provide an additional general practice with a registrar regional practice system whereby the registrars doing GP work operate on a rotational basis.
In the meantime, a doctor who has been working within the Broome hospital system has decided to set up a private practice. We were looking at providing a building owned by the state government that is located next door to the hospital. However, it turns out that the doctor has found premises of his own just along the road. He has found a second doctor who is willing to work with him and he is talking to a third doctor who will hopefully go there in the future. We are assisting the doctor in negotiations with the council, which is supportive of this arrangement, to ensure that the approvals are made in a timely manner so that the doctors can set up the alternative practice. Dr Singh currently charges an $80 fee for patients to visit his surgery. Unfortunately he has closed his books. He has been bulk-billing pensioners and disadvantaged people but during our meeting with him he said that he was thinking of not doing that in the future, so that everyone would be charged an $80 consultation fee plus a $100 transfer fee if patients choose to go somewhere else and he needs to send on their records. I made it clear at that visit that I was not impressed with that proposal. In the meantime, we think we have found a way to address the matter with the goodwill and cooperation of the other doctors. The new practice will open in January next year. Hopefully it will get the $500 000 funding support from the federal government to help set it up. Even if the doctors do not get that funding, they intend to proceed with setting up the practice and the state government will assist them if that is required. Hopefully that issue will be resolved. There are other issues regarding the renal unit, and we are looking at different options to provide an additional general practice with a registrar regional practice system whereby the registrars doing GP work operate on a rotational basis.
Dr K.D. HAMES replied: I thank the member for that excellent question. It is very important to talk about Broome. Unfortunately, the member for Kimberley is not in the chamber to hear this answer, as she is concerned about this issue and Broome is a central part of her electorate. The lack of GPs in Broome has been going on for sometime. This matter was raised by the federal member for Kalgoorlie, Mr Barry Haase, during the federal election campaign and it was also raised during the state election campaign. The GP practice in Dakas Street, Broome, which was a privately run practice, has closed because of the costs associated with running it. The GPs who worked there decided that they could not continue to practise there. The practice in the town that is run by Dr Singh has recently closed its books and another practice is run by Dr Jenson, who is aged 69 and is about to retire. His practice is for sale but there have been no buyers as yet. The Broome Regional Aboriginal Medical Service provides services to not only Aboriginal patients but also some non-Aboriginal patients. However, because of the closure of the Dakas Street surgery, which attended to a large number of patients, the Broome Regional Aboriginal Medical Service has also had to close its books. The federal and state governments have been asked what can be done to resolve this situation. Prior to the election, I committed to going to Broome and soon after the election I met with a large number of people, including doctors, health staff and Aboriginal medical staff, to find a solution. I am pleased to announce that we have found a solution, in part. Upon becoming the Minister for Health, I met the federal Minister for Health and Ageing, Hon Nicola Roxon, and had discussions about this matter with her. I must say that I found her to be very cooperative in trying to find a solution. Funding of $500 000 can be made available to help assist setting up practices in remote locations. An application for that funding has been made and the federal minister has said that she will be happy to make sure that it is considered as a priority. In the meantime, a doctor who has been working within the Broome hospital system has decided to set up a private practice. We were looking at providing a building owned by the state government that is located next door to the hospital. However, it turns out that the doctor has found premises of his own just along the road. He has found a second doctor who is willing to work with him and he is talking to a third doctor who will hopefully go there in the future. We are assisting the doctor in negotiations with the council, which is supportive of this arrangement, to ensure that the approvals are made in a timely manner so that the doctors can set up the alternative practice. Dr Singh currently charges an $80 fee for patients to visit his surgery. Unfortunately he has closed his books. He has been bulk-billing pensioners and disadvantaged people but during our meeting with him he said that he was thinking of not doing that in the future, so that everyone would be charged an $80 consultation fee plus a $100 transfer fee if patients choose to go somewhere else and he needs to send on their records. I made it clear at that visit that I was not impressed with that proposal. In the meantime, we think we have found a way to address the matter with the goodwill and cooperation of the other doctors. The new practice will open in January next year. Hopefully it will get the $500 000 funding support from the federal government to help set it up. Even if the doctors do not get that funding, they intend to proceed with setting up the practice and the state government will assist them if that is required. Hopefully that issue will be resolved. There are other issues regarding the renal unit, and we are looking at different options to provide an additional general practice with a registrar regional practice system whereby the registrars doing GP work operate on a rotational basis.
I thank the member for that excellent question. It is very important to talk about Broome. Unfortunately, the member for Kimberley is not in the chamber to hear this answer, as she is concerned about this issue and Broome is a central part of her electorate. The lack of GPs in Broome has been going on for sometime. This matter was raised by the federal member for Kalgoorlie, Mr Barry Haase, during the federal election campaign and it was also raised during the state election campaign. The GP practice in Dakas Street, Broome, which was a privately run practice, has closed because of the costs associated with running it. The GPs who worked there decided that they could not continue to practise there. The practice in the town that is run by Dr Singh has recently closed its books and another practice is run by Dr Jenson, who is aged 69 and is about to retire. His practice is for sale but there have been no buyers as yet. The Broome Regional Aboriginal Medical Service provides services to not only Aboriginal patients but also some non-Aboriginal patients. However, because of the closure of the Dakas Street surgery, which attended to a large number of patients, the Broome Regional Aboriginal Medical Service has also had to close its books. The federal and state governments have been asked what can be done to resolve this situation. Prior to the election, I committed to going to Broome and soon after the election I met with a large number of people, including doctors, health staff and Aboriginal medical staff, to find a solution. I am pleased to announce that we have found a solution, in part. Upon becoming the Minister for Health, I met the federal Minister for Health and Ageing, Hon Nicola Roxon, and had discussions about this matter with her. I must say that I found her to be very cooperative in trying to find a solution. Funding of $500 000 can be made available to help assist setting up practices in remote locations. An application for that funding has been made and the federal minister has said that she will be happy to make sure that it is considered as a priority. In the meantime, a doctor who has been working within the Broome hospital system has decided to set up a private practice. We were looking at providing a building owned by the state government that is located next door to the hospital. However, it turns out that the doctor has found premises of his own just along the road. He has found a second doctor who is willing to work with him and he is talking to a third doctor who will hopefully go there in the future. We are assisting the doctor in negotiations with the council, which is supportive of this arrangement, to ensure that the approvals are made in a timely manner so that the doctors can set up the alternative practice. Dr Singh currently charges an $80 fee for patients to visit his surgery. Unfortunately he has closed his books. He has been bulk-billing pensioners and disadvantaged people but during our meeting with him he said that he was thinking of not doing that in the future, so that everyone would be charged an $80 consultation fee plus a $100 transfer fee if patients choose to go somewhere else and he needs to send on their records. I made it clear at that visit that I was not impressed with that proposal. In the meantime, we think we have found a way to address the matter with the goodwill and cooperation of the other doctors. The new practice will open in January next year. Hopefully it will get the $500 000 funding support from the federal government to help set it up. Even if the doctors do not get that funding, they intend to proceed with setting up the practice and the state government will assist them if that is required. Hopefully that issue will be resolved. There are other issues regarding the renal unit, and we are looking at different options to provide an additional general practice with a registrar regional practice system whereby the registrars doing GP work operate on a rotational basis.
The federal and state governments have been asked what can be done to resolve this situation. Prior to the election, I committed to going to Broome and soon after the election I met with a large number of people, including doctors, health staff and Aboriginal medical staff, to find a solution. I am pleased to announce that we have found a solution, in part. Upon becoming the Minister for Health, I met the federal Minister for Health and Ageing, Hon Nicola Roxon, and had discussions about this matter with her. I must say that I found her to be very cooperative in trying to find a solution. Funding of $500 000 can be made available to help assist setting up practices in remote locations. An application for that funding has been made and the federal minister has said that she will be happy to make sure that it is considered as a priority. In the meantime, a doctor who has been working within the Broome hospital system has decided to set up a private practice. We were looking at providing a building owned by the state government that is located next door to the hospital. However, it turns out that the doctor has found premises of his own just along the road. He has found a second doctor who is willing to work with him and he is talking to a third doctor who will hopefully go there in the future. We are assisting the doctor in negotiations with the council, which is supportive of this arrangement, to ensure that the approvals are made in a timely manner so that the doctors can set up the alternative practice. Dr Singh currently charges an $80 fee for patients to visit his surgery. Unfortunately he has closed his books. He has been bulk-billing pensioners and disadvantaged people but during our meeting with him he said that he was thinking of not doing that in the future, so that everyone would be charged an $80 consultation fee plus a $100 transfer fee if patients choose to go somewhere else and he needs to send on their records. I made it clear at that visit that I was not impressed with that proposal. In the meantime, we think we have found a way to address the matter with the goodwill and cooperation of the other doctors. The new practice will open in January next year. Hopefully it will get the $500 000 funding support from the federal government to help set it up. Even if the doctors do not get that funding, they intend to proceed with setting up the practice and the state government will assist them if that is required. Hopefully that issue will be resolved. There are other issues regarding the renal unit, and we are looking at different options to provide an additional general practice with a registrar regional practice system whereby the registrars doing GP work operate on a rotational basis.
In the meantime, a doctor who has been working within the Broome hospital system has decided to set up a private practice. We were looking at providing a building owned by the state government that is located next door to the hospital. However, it turns out that the doctor has found premises of his own just along the road. He has found a second doctor who is willing to work with him and he is talking to a third doctor who will hopefully go there in the future. We are assisting the doctor in negotiations with the council, which is supportive of this arrangement, to ensure that the approvals are made in a timely manner so that the doctors can set up the alternative practice. Dr Singh currently charges an $80 fee for patients to visit his surgery. Unfortunately he has closed his books. He has been bulk-billing pensioners and disadvantaged people but during our meeting with him he said that he was thinking of not doing that in the future, so that everyone would be charged an $80 consultation fee plus a $100 transfer fee if patients choose to go somewhere else and he needs to send on their records. I made it clear at that visit that I was not impressed with that proposal. In the meantime, we think we have found a way to address the matter with the goodwill and cooperation of the other doctors. The new practice will open in January next year. Hopefully it will get the $500 000 funding support from the federal government to help set it up. Even if the doctors do not get that funding, they intend to proceed with setting up the practice and the state government will assist them if that is required. Hopefully that issue will be resolved. There are other issues regarding the renal unit, and we are looking at different options to provide an additional general practice with a registrar regional practice system whereby the registrars doing GP work operate on a rotational basis.
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