Stuart Robert (Fadden, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Defence Science, Technology and Personnel) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Recently the minister for health wrote to me and asked for my comment about whether I would be amenable to a GP superclinic in the northern part of the Gold Coast. After consultation with all of the medical clinics throughout the electorate of Fadden, the feedback I have received, through a 100 per cent response, is that no GP superclinic is warranted for nor required in Fadden. A recent general practice Gold Coast census of GPs shows there are 473 GPs and 215 nurses in 123 practices across the Gold Coast. The age and sex distribution of the workforce is remaining relatively constant with clinicians coming on board in sufficient numbers to replace retiring GPs though DWSs are required to expand. What is not required is another superclinic which would simply rob Peter to pay Paul. The real problem is the shortage of doctors. This shortage continues to be exacerbated by the Department of Health and Ageing not allowing district of workforce shortage measures to be applied in the fastest growing electorate in the nation. GPs have changed work practices to become more efficient, to increase the capacity of general practice and to systematise it for more effective service delivery.

General practices on the Gold Coast are already ‘super’ clinics, and every single one of those general practices sends a very clear message that they do not want the government interfering and they do not want a superclinic. The Labor government does not know better than the GP clinics on the Gold Coast. The simple response from them to the government is to butt out and leave the Gold Coast clinics to do what they do best: provide medical care. General practice on the Gold Coast has successfully created ‘medical homes’ in their local communities where patients can access the doctor of their choice in their own area. There is no unmet need in Fadden for the great big shiny building that will supposedly help from the Labor Party. In the last month alone, three new medical practices have opened in Fadden and many businesses have extended their opening hours. There are now local practices providing services until 10 pm at night and all day Saturday and Sunday. The population is also served by several out-of-hours agencies who provide both home visits and surgery based consultations. Therefore the question is: what value does the Labor Party GP superclinic bring, apart from a shiny new building for one of their senators to open? A superclinic is totally and completely unnecessary on the Gold Coast in Fadden. It is not warranted; it is not welcome. Fadden is well serviced by existing general practices. The superclinic model proposed by the Labor government will destroy the medical homes which already exist and do very little for patient care. The government obviously think so because they will not allow a greater number of district of workforce shortage doctors in. Therefore they are already saying by that action that there is already sufficient medical care.