Doctors

Many of you will already be aware of the ongoing national shortage of doctors, an issue that has been widely covered in the media. This shortage has created significant challenges across the country, with many towns and regional areas left without consistent GP services.

 

We are very pleased to share some positive news. Dr Margaret Gusah, who previously completed a short locum placement with our clinic, has returned in a long-term locum role. Recognising the need for continuity of care, Dr Gusah chose to extend her stay and is also participating in the Fellowship Support Program to provide supervision and guidance for our IMG, Dr Sahar Mirbaha.

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We remain grateful for the ongoing support of Rural Workforce Agency Victoria (RWAV), whose assistance has been vital in helping us secure locum GPs during periods of transition caused by GP retirements and relocations. Their support allows us to continue meeting the needs of our patients, even when your permanent doctor takes well-deserved leave to spend time with their families.

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While you may not always see your regular GP, please be assured that our excellent locum doctors provide the same high standard of care—and sometimes, as we’ve seen, they may even decide to stay longer than planned!

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Other suggestions for improvement

In addition to improving the shortage of doctors issue, we received the following feedback:

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• Doctor Turnover is High

We agree!  doctor turnover has been high!  WHY?

Well we have been reliant on locum GPs to support our patient base due to the national shortage of GPs reluctant to relocate to a regional area.  Albeit, we think the area is beautiful, and most GPs that come here think the same.  Generally, our Locum GPs spend 2 weeks at a time, however, in some instances they may stay for longer periods.

• Less Waiting Time to See My GP

The GPs run to a tight schedule, however when patients present with urgent/acute matters these will always be prioritised.  We encourage patients to book longer appointments if they have more than 2 issues to be discussed.  The GPs will always put your health as a priority and as a result this can create a longer wait time to see your GP.

• More Doctors for the clinic

We understand access to timely appointments is important and we acknowledge concerns about doctor availability.
Recruiting skilled and dedicated doctors - especially in regional areas is challenging but we are actively working to grow the team to better meet the needs of the community. In the meantime we are doing our best to maximise appointment availability with
our current doctors and maintain the quality of care.

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• At times the waiting area is too noisy with radio and television both competing

We aim to create a welcoming and calming environment for all patients. We will aim to review the volume levels of both the TV and music to ensure they are kept at a more comfortable level.

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Thank You

We would like to thank everyone who participated for their valuable contribution to improving our practice.

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