After-hours healthcare for the residents of Gumeracha and surrounds will be restored by the Malinauskas Labor Government, after the town’s emergency department was closed by the former Liberal government during the pandemic.
Gumeracha’s emergency department has been shut for a total of 853 days since it was first closed in early 2020 as a result of the pandemic.
It reopened for five months in 2021 but closed again in July that year and has remained shut since then due to pressures that the small GP workforce is facing at its local clinics – unable to staff the ED.
Last year, Health Minister Chris Picton met with several key stakeholders to discuss potential avenues to re-establish services in Gumeracha, resulting in a working group being formed.
The working group assessed the out-of-hours healthcare needs in the region since the closure of the Gumeracha District Soldiers’ Memorial Hospital Emergency Department and reviewed various models of care before providing their recommendation to the local health network.
The proposed model of care is an after-hours nurse-led clinic based at Gumeracha District Soldiers’ Memorial Hospital, with virtual support from a medical practitioner.
Under the proposal, the after-hours clinic would operate Monday to Friday 4:00pm to 8:00pm, and Saturdays and Sundays 10:00am to 4:00pm.
The working group that developed this model of care was made up of local GPs, community members, SA Ambulance Service staff and representatives from the Barossa Hills Fleurieu Local Health Network (BHFLHN).
A community forum will be held on Thursday 12 January, at the Gumeracha Town Hall from 5.30pm to 6.30pm, where members of the local community will have the opportunity to hear more about the proposed service.
It’s expected the new service will be up and running by late March, after public consultation and staff recruitment and onboarding.
Quotes
Attributable to Health Minister Chris Picton
We are committed to providing the Gumeracha and surrounding community with access to the after-hours health care that they need.
I’d like to thank the members of the urgent care working group who have closely considered the growing needs of the region and how we can best deliver out-of-hours care to the community.
We look forward to sharing the proposal with the community and receiving their feedback.
Attributable to BHFLHN CEO Rebecca Graham
We welcome this proposal and thank the participants of the working group for their input and insight in developing a model of care for the consideration of the local community.
We look forward to finding a solution that meets the needs of the growing population of the Gumeracha region.
Attributable to Gumeracha community representative Joel Taggart
As a member of the growing Adelaide Hills community, I was pleased to provide community representation throughout the productive working group process.
It has become clear to me that this model of care can restore services to the region and can realistically be implemented given the clear challenges in attracting and retaining a medical workforce.
I’m pleased that the working group will come together again to review the model over time and make sure that Gumeracha and the surrounding region is receiving the best model that is available.
