April 7, 2025
A new partnership between Kingaroy Hospital, local GPs and the South Burnett Regional Council aims to improve access to primary healthcare and reduce visits to hospital emergency departments.
A “Single Employer Model” trial has begun which means doctors can now be employed at Darling Downs Health hospitals as well as work at local GP clinics.
The trial is being jointly funded by the Federal and State governments.
“We rolled out a similar model at Dalby Hospital last year and it was really successful. We also have a pilot site in Warwick which has done well. This model at Kingaroy is just building on to that original success,” DDH Director Medical Services South Burnett Dr Liam Weber said.
The trial has already attracted six new GP registrars to Kingaroy this year, with one more sharing their time between Kingaroy and Kilcoy.
Dr Thanuka Wijegunaratne, a rural generalist registrar at Taabinga Family Practice, is employed through Darling Downs Health. He works part-time at the Kingaroy Hospital and part-time at the Taabinga surgery.
Dr Wijegunaratne said the collaborative model had been a win-win for the Kingaroy community and doctors.
“The Single Employer Model helps with my training, it allows me to understand the community needs and the health needs, and at the same time it helps the Kingaroy Hospital and the South Burnett community,” Dr Wijegunaratne said.
“I also get to see some patients in the hospital and if I want to follow up, I can follow up with them in the general practice clinic. That way the continuity of care is there, and the patient can really benefit from one clinician following them throughout their whole journey.”
- External link: Single Employer Model Explained
The way this is worded, it appears to mean that surgeries will be able to take on new patients because of it. No. They won’t.
Taabinga is closed to new patients, just check their website.
We need doctors that will take NEW patients, so many of us won’t be forced to travel hours to just see a GP … that’s right, not a specialist, a GP.
We have to make a five-hour round trip just for blood tests, skin cancer check or a heart health check. Maybe not a drama if you’re in your 30s, but once you age, it’s a strain. And you also tend to get sicker the older you get, so even more of a strain.
I get a little sick of hospital doctors assuming you have a handy family member who is willing to drop everything to ferry you around (I know of grown kids who couldn’t be bothered taking their parents a couple of blocks to a local doctor!) or that you can afford to pay for a transporter to do so.
After a two-hour stay in hospital a couple of years back, I was told by the doctor to “go and see your GP” for tests. I was unwell, not up to driving, so I just went home to bed; no point explaining I was in no condition to drive five hours the next day. They don’t understand.
The governments also assume everyone is within five minutes of a free clinic. Come out to the regions and do as I do… ask at the local surgeries every few months if they are taking new patients and get a “no, sorry”, then do something about it.
The service above may help those already lucky enough to be *in* with a practice, but if you’ve moved here in the last 10 years, keep your car in good order, you’ll need it.
I couldn’t agree more. A few years ago I had a small op in Toowoomba and was told I needed someone to drive me home. There was no one I could call on to help so I had to lie and drove myself there and back. Now, I have to have another small op but this time it’s not in Toowoomba so I can walk to the hospital. They say I must have someone spend 24 hours with me afterwards. Yeah nah, not happening.
Exactly. Ill people shouldn’t be driving long distances but many times they have to. Because if they don’t. they are risking their lives by not getting treatment. Why do medical staff always assume that you have someone or there is a service provided? Once you are older, your friends are older, too, and in the same or worse health, so they can’t do it. Some do not have any family (in my case, I’ve outlived them) and transport services cost money, even the “charity” ones (if you can get them). Pop that on top of a non-bulk-billing doctor and the cost of anything medical adds up. If you don’t have anyone, they say they will keep you in hospital; they are supposed to. But I’m betting they’ll try anything to get out of it. It’s all about money. If you’re over 70 and a public patient, you don’t hear “well let’s try this treatment”, you hear “check out some palliative care centres” because you are then worthless to the government. And if you can’t get to a GP locally and get on to a problem quickly, make sure you have a will. Someone will appreciate it!
Hmmm. Tell me about it.