THE head of the South East region’s health system has welcomed the awarding of a new contract to supply locum doctors for Millicent and District Hospital.
International Medical Recruitment (IMR) will staff the hospital’s accident and emergency department and all in-patient services from September 3.
“This is good news for the local community as it will provide continuity of services,” acting regional health director Ngaire Buchanan said.
“They will see patients in the hospital as well as in the accident and emergency department.”
According to Ms Buchanan, there will be a pool of six doctors who will be used by IMR at Millicent.
When not at the hospital, they will be required to be within 20 minutes travel of the facility.
The locum doctors will not have any involvement with the attached Sheoak Lodge aged care facility as these residents will continue to receive care from doctors from the Medical Clinic Millicent.
As IMR has a four-year contract, Ms Buchanan said the arrangement can be viewed as permanent.
The cost to Country Health SA of the IMR contract will not be disclosed.
A Country Health SA spokesperson said the staffing situation at Millicent was not unique in regional South Australia as a variety of models were in use across the state.
Millicent Health Advisory Council presiding member Jen Syme said the awarding of the contract was a positive step.
“It is a good outcome and we are very pleased,” Ms Syme said.
“It has put smiles on everyone’s faces.
“Along with the hospital, we are committed to developing systems which work to benefit the whole community.”
Millicent and Surrounds Health Support Group chairman John Andre AM said his group particularly welcomed the halving of the call-out time from 40 minutes to 20 minutes.
“We specifically requested this of the Country Health SA South East regional director on June 30 of last year,” Mr Andre said.
“We have continued to pursue it on behalf of our community.
“It will rebuild confidence in the Millicent Hospital with its important 24/7 accident and emergency service.
“Our group’s preference has been for the hospital to be at least partly serviced by the Medical Clinic Millicent to maintain the doctor/patient relationship that rural communities prefer, in particular in the situation of palliative care.
“The MASHSG will discuss details of the new contract with Ms Buchanan before making further comment.”
The South Eastern Times has approached the Medical Clinic Millicent for comment.
The contract for locums at Millicent Hospital was let last year and has taken many months to finalise.
The hospital has been entirely staffed by locums for almost 2.5 years following the withdrawal of doctors from the Medical Clinic Millicent.
At the time of the withdrawal of the clinic doctors in March 2016, Country Health SA said the locum arrangement would be “temporary”.
Millicent Hospital and Sheoak Lodge are the largest single-site employers in Millicent with 150 full-time and part-time staff.
There have been a number of occasions when no locum was available, including a 56-hour period last month.
