May 22, 2015
If the South Burnett Private Hospital closes on June 30 it would be an “absolute disaster” for the local community, says a specialist gynaecologist who has been visiting Kingaroy for more than five years.
Dr Philip Hall, who is based in Brisbane but has more than 30 years experience working in rural Victoria, said he usually attended to between 40-45 patients during a visit. And on an operating day, he would perform between 10-12 procedures.
“All the other visiting specialists would do the same levels of work,” he said.
Dr Hall said the private hospital meant these patients did not have to do an enormous amount of travelling, and they could have their families close by them while they were in hospital.
“All that is going to disappear,” he said.
He said the operating theatre at the South Burnett Private Hospital was very well-equipped, and there were excellent theatre nurses and post-operative staff employed.
“I have all the equipment I need for internal and advanced laparoscopic work.
“Probably two-thirds of the surgery that needs to be done can be done here.”
He said the nurses had been there a long time and were committed to good quality nursing.
“And they are looking after their neighbours, people they know. That’s why rural hospitals that work well, work so well.”
Dr Hall said the other specialists who attended the Private Hospital were also devastated about the upcoming closure.
“We have put a lot of time, effort and energy into building a service for rural people,” he said.
“It is the equivalent level of service for rural people that they can get in a capital city or in a major regional city.
“We have the pathology, x-ray and imaging all in town. We can talk to the GPs who can can get all that work done first before we come up. It is very efficient.
“Kingaroy has some fantastic GPs who are very capable of providing a good level of care. They know their patients. They need a hospital.”
Dr Hall said the private and public health systems should be working together in Kingaroy.
“There is no way (Kingaroy Hospital) can fulfil the role if the private hospital closes,” he said.
“They are going to be inundated by hundreds of people and they won’t be able to cope.”
Dr Hall blamed changes in government policy for the predicament that the South Burnett Private Hospital finds itself it.
“Queensland Health has changed its policy. For a long time, it didn’t want private patients in the hospital because they couldn’t get any money out of them, but things have changed.
“Now every day they get the daily bed charges from the private health insurers. This is not just Kingaroy; it is statewide and they have pulled out dollars from the private health sector.”
Dr Hall also said an ambulance policy was directing patients away from the private hospital.
He does not lay the blame for the closure at the feet of Pulse Health.
“I think they are unfortunate sad bystanders in this because of the changes in Queensland Health policy and changes in the Ambulance Service policies.
However, these policies could be changed by Queensland Health if it wanted to.
“It all comes down to dollars. Queensland Health is strapped for money.”
Related articles:
- Fingers Crossed For Private Hospital
- Mayor Off To Brisbane For Hospital Talks
- Mayor Gutted Over Hospital Closure
- Hospital Discussions ‘Fruitful’
- May Day Call To Save Hospital
- Hospital Renovations Begin Soon
- Glimpse Into A Healthy Future
- Pulse Confirms It Will Run Hospital
- Hospital Talks ‘Progressing Well’
- Pulse ‘Highly Likely’ To Run Hospital
- Pulse ‘Keen To Run Hospital’
- Council To Run Private Hospital
- Talks On Hospital Future
