Vol. No. Vol. 2118No. 45 27
FREE PUBLICATION
A FREE PUBLICATION FROM YOUR LOCAL RADIO STATIONS 3WM AND MIXXFM
Wednesday, January 13, 2019 2016 Wednesday, May 22,
WHO’S HUNGRY? Alexis Walter pretends to pick herbs from the garden for an imaginary recipe as part of her dress-up as a ‘MasterChef’ during Horsham Primary School Education Week activities. Students at the school dressed up based on what career they might like to ultimately pursue. Picture: PAUL CARRACHER
Clinics issue looms A
BY DEAN LAWSON
ddressing issues surrounding doctor and doctor-support services across the region looms as a major task for new Member for Mallee Anne Webster.
Regional provider Tristar Medical Group has wasted little time in indicating it would ‘welcome’ Dr Webster’s support to cut through crippling bureaucratic hurdles. Tristar Medical Group, a private business dedicated to providing regional services, operates clinics throughout much of the Wimmera and Mallee. It has its headquarters in Mildura,
opened the first of its many clinics in Warracknabeal and helps meet pressing medical needs in rural areas. Group clinical operations executive director Anne Gardner said a Medicare freeze, changes in supervision and government regulations that delayed or prevented doctors from establishing or building regional practices was hurting the business. “As a consequence Tristar has gone through an intense period whereby our business has been directly challenged. This has led to windows of financial and workforce capacity strain,” she said. “Tristar would welcome new Federal Member for the Mallee Anne Web-
ster supporting some of the measures required to relieve the pressure on general practitioners in their service provision. “We would also welcome her in working with the general practice industry to establish financially viable models that would attract GPs to and retain them in the region.” The message came as Dr Webster waited to formally declare election victory in Mallee. It also came on the back of a national survey that showed regional Australia was in desperate need of investment to improve staff levels and hospital facilities. The Australian Medical Association
Rural Health Issues Survey 2019 revealed rural doctors believed more staff and workable rosters was the most critical priority for improving rural-health outcomes.
Work to be done
Dr Webster said she was following ‘with interest’ circumstances surrounding Tristar. “My intention is to hit the ground running with health care across the electorate, looking at the models in place and discussing with government about incentive schemes,” she said. “There’s a lot of work to done and I’m very enthusiastic to see quality health care be available across
the electorate no matter where people live.” Ms Gardner said a lack of consultation from policy makers had led to increasing financial challenges for general practice in regional areas. “Building a sustainable workforce has become littered with barriers,” she said. “The ongoing Medicare freeze is making bulk-billed GP primary health care unaffordable. Tristar has remained committed to provide bulkbilled GP services to regional areas, however, the increasing costs of running a general practice is making this extremely hard to continue.” Continued page 3
IN THIS ISSUE • Gathering generates confidence • Art is... festival focus • Football and netball Phone: 03 5382 1351 Read it online: www.theweeklyadvertiser.com.au
AUDITED: 22,571 COPIES
March 2018 to September 2018
Source: AMAA; CAB Total Distribution Audit for further information visit www.auditedmedia.org.au