More than 91 per cent of participants in a recent survey say the current availability of medical services in Gunnedah is either 'bad' or 'terrible', and this is to be a major topic at Wednesday's ordinary meeting.
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Gunnedah councillors will vote on making a submission to the NSW government's parliamentary inquiry into health outcomes and access to health and hospital services in rural, regional and remote NSW.
They will also decide whether to engage with the NSW Rural Doctors Network (RDN) and representatives from local operating health clinics to develop a "general practitioner attraction and retention strategy for Gunnedah".
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Gunnedah mayor Jamie Chaffey has put forward a mayoral minute for the latter, which he writes in the business papers would then be used to advocate through Tamworth MP Kevin Anderson and Parkes MP Mark Coulton "to their respective governments to achieve the identified outcomes".
"I have received numerous representations from residents in our community expressing a great level of distress with the inability to gain an appointment to see a Gunnedah based general practitioner," Cr Chaffey wrote.
"Gunnedah is at a historically low level of general practitioners and currently sits at a ratio of approximately one general practitioner to 3000 residents. I believe this to be one of the highest ratios in the Hunter New England Health area."
Numerous meetings have already taken place, according to the papers, between Cr Chaffey and general manager Eric Groth with Dr Chris Gittoes, Dr Rob Parsons, Mr Coulton, and NSW Rural Doctors Network CEO Richard Colbran.
The next step, if voted in favour at Wednesday's meeting, will be developing a work plan strategy for 2021 that will include, but isn't limited to:
- Two meetings with Gunnedah Shire Council representatives prior to Christmas to discuss in detail all issues that have been identified by the community and council;
- NSW Rural Doctors Network to meet separately with representatives of Hunter New England Health, Northwest Family Medical Centre and Barber Street Medical Practice to identify the type of general practitioners required and the numbers required;
- Early 2021 complete the workforce plan that will include short, medium and long term actions to address all identified concerns.
Due to this huge lack of services, councillors will also cast their decide whether or not to make a submission to the parliamentary inquiry.
The council's director of corporate and community services, Colin Formann, included a draft submission in the November papers which included statistics from a survey undertaken by council staff.
According to this data, 91.17 per cent of employees generally rate the current availability of medical services as a whole in Gunnedah as either 'bad' or 'terrible', and 82.35 per cent of employees or members of their families have had to seek normal GP appointments outside of the shire in the last 12 months.
"The issues that we face are complex and it is accepted that there is no simple or quick fix. However it is clear that a fundamental shift is required to address these problems," Mr Formann wrote.
"The future of rural areas and the lives of rural people depend upon it."