A DOCTOR from the Medical Clinic Millicent has again been working in the acute wards and accident and emergency department of Millicent and District Hospital.
Clinic partner Dr James Bushell worked as a locum for three days.
“It went well,” Dr Bushell said.
“It was a nice feeling working at the Millicent Hospital again.
“After doing on-call there for 20 years it is a big part of your life gone.
“It is a great feeling of serving our community.”
The involvement of Dr Bushell and his fellow GPs from the Short Street practice ceased over three years ago in March 2016.
He is a highly-regarded and the longest-serving current GP at the Medical Clinic-Millicent and one of the three partners of the business.
His move to Millicent in 1997 was supported by a special government grant which brought skilled GPs to rural locations.
Dr Bushell performs scheduled minor elective surgery at Millicent Hospital and regularly works as a GP obstetrician at Mount Gambier Hospital.
At the time of the withdrawal of clinic doctors from Millicent Hospital, Country Health SA said the locum doctor arrangement would be “temporary.”
The International Medical Recruitment (IMR) agency started a four-year contract in September last year to provide medical staff for the hospital’s accident and emergency department and all in-patient services.
“The door is open” is how the Millicent and Surrounds Health Support Group chairman John Andre welcomed the news Dr Bushell had provided the locum service over a recent weekend.
“During the 2018 negotiations for the provision of GP services to the Millicent Hospital our group was assured the current contract allowed for the provision of such services by local doctors should they wish to apply,” Mr Andre said.
“This small but welcome re-entry will reassure our community that local doctors can provide locum services to the hospital, but it will not happen unless they show an interest and apply.
“We would encourage more local doctors to seriously consider applying for a locum shift.
“Our group sees this as being most important not only for providing a continuity of health care for patients attending both the clinic and the hospital, but in rebuilding a closer link between the hospital and the whole community and the various health services.
“It would be very timely if more local doctor involvement coincided with the Millicent hospital open day coming up on October 20.”
Although the Medical Clinic Millicent withdrew from the Millicent Hospital in 2016, its doctors have continued to provide medical services to the 60 aged residents at its adjoining Sheoak Lodge aged care facility.
Back in June, The South Eastern Times reported that former Medical Clinic Millicent partner Dr Trevor Burchall had also joined the locum roster.
