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Question and Answer Tracking Details

570 - WALLSEND AFTER HOURS MEDICAL SERVICE

Hornery, Sonia to the Minister for Health
  1. How will the Government ensure that the closure of Wallsend After Hours Medical Service will not force less-urgent patients to present at hospital emergency departments?
  2. What steps the Government will take to ensure that there will not be increased waiting times and costs for patients at Wallsend Aged Care Facility who will no longer have access to an on-site x-ray service?
  3. If these conditions cannot be met, will the Government reconsider its decision to withdraw funding from the Wallsend After Hours Medical Service given the impact its closure will have on the community?
Answer -

I am advised:

  1. to (3) Mr Michael DiRienzo, Chief Executive, Hunter New England Local Health District, has advised that the WAHMS is a privately-run service and the District has withdrawn its nursing and administrative support effective 1 July 2015. The responsibility for after-hours general practitioner (GP) services falls within the portfolio responsibilities of the Commonwealth Government and the availability of these services for the community has increased significantly since the early 1990s when the Medical Service was originally established.
    I understand that the community can access a range of after-hours GP services for urgent complaints, including the GP Access After-Hours Service, which continues to provide a telephone support and advice line with nurse-led triage for after-hours GP appointments. Local after-hours GP clinics are available, including those co-located at John Hunter Hospital, Calvary Mater Newcastle, Belmont Hospital, Westlakes Community Health Centre and Maitland Hospital. A growing number of local GP practices also provide after-hours care, including services in people's homes.

Question asked on 23 June 2015 (session 56-1) and printed in Questions & Answers Paper No. 13
Answer received on 28 July 2015 and printed in Questions & Answers Paper No. 17

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