Weipa Health Services Assured by Cape York HHS

The Cape York Hospital and Health Service (HHS) has stepped in to help secure the future of general practice medical services at Weipa, by taking control of service delivery at the Weipa Medical Centre from 1 July.

In Weipa this morning, Health Minister Lawrence Springborg said the owner of the private practice, Weipa Medical Centre Ltd, had agreed to lease the business on a temporary basis to the Cape York HHS at no cost.

“The Cape York HHS will operate the general practice using its own Queensland Health doctors and other practice staff,” Mr Springborg said.

Weipa Medical Centre had advised its patients of the change. Permission for the Cape York HHS to access patients’ records would be sought by the HHS from individuals at the time of their next appointment with the new service.

The Weipa Medical Centre had a permanent medical establishment of 1.5 Full Time Equivalent (FTE) private general practitioners.

“Both the existing private doctors previously employed at the service have taken positions elsewhere. They will be replaced by Queensland Health doctors on an equivalent FTE basis,’’ he said.

“These doctors will be additional to the three full-time doctors already employed by the HHS at the Weipa Integrated Health Service.

“As a result, there will be no alteration to the current level of service available through the private medical practice,” he said. “There will be no added burden on the existing medical workforce employed by the Hospital and Health Service at Weipa that looks after public patients.”

Mr Springborg said responsibility for supporting private practice GPs in remote areas across Australia was a Commonwealth responsibility. The lease of the Weipa Medical Centre by the Cape York HHS was an interim solution while a permanent new private practice operator was found.

“The Cape York HHS will be working with the Federal Department of Health and Ageing, Far North Queensland Medicare Local and Rio Tinto to develop a long term sustainable solution for the Weipa community,’’ Mr Springborg said.

“The Cape York HHS has already had strong interest from other private operators and will be entering into some serious discussions with them in the next few weeks.

“Delivering private general practice services is not the Cape York Hospital and Health Service’s core business, which is to provide services to public patients.

“However, given the reality that the Weipa Medical Practice would otherwise have ceased to operate on 1 July, the Cape York HHS felt it was its duty to step in and safeguard local health services for the benefit of all the community.’’

The Weipa Medical Centre is co-located within Queensland Health’s Weipa Integrated Health Service facility.

Patients of the general practice can continue to make appointments with the Weipa Medical Centre using existing contact numbers.

“The Cape York HHS believes it has come up with a win-win solution for everyone involved and with the prospect of protecting the future of private medical services at Weipa,’’ Mr Springborg said.

ENDS

Contact: Cameron Thompson 0407585230