2007-07-05

Lack of Doctors in Hunter Valley

This annoys me. From the ABC:

Hunter New England Health in New South Wales is urging people with non-threatening ailments to see their local GP before presenting to local emergency departments.

While many doctors have closed their books and will not take new patients, the service says people should keep trying to make an appointment because emergency departments are not doctors' surgeries.

Obviously these bean counters have got no idea. I just cannot find any doctors to go to at a moment's notice. If people take a day off work because they're sick they can't book an appointment for a few day's time and expect to get a doctor's certificate (for sick leave reasons).

I know a few doctors in this part of the world - quite a few go to our church. They are well aware of the issues sympathise with patients. Basically our health system is stuffed because of government inaction. Doctors are less likely to work in places like the Hunter Valley and need financial inducements to live and work here.

1 comment:

David Castor said...

If only they offered financial inducements to new solicitors to work in the Hunter, I'd be up there in a flash! Murrurundi preferably. But solicitors are already more numerous (and more odious) than rodents, so no-one is interested in taking us on. It all makes me very sad to think about :(