By KATH GANNAWAY
Healesville hospital crisis deepens…
THE Yarra Valley Community Medical Service in Healesville is in crisis, according to sources close to Healesville Hospital and the clinic.
The Mail understands that the circumstances around Dr Murray Barson’s shock resignation a month ago has led to at least one other resignation, and the possibility of more to follow.
Eastern Health won’t comment on that resignation, saying it is inappropriate for them to disclose details of individual contracts, but have said no other doctors have resigned.
The situation at the clinic is the latest in the more than two years of upheaval between Eastern Health and the Yarra Valley community with the Save Healesville Hospital Action Group (SHHAG) calling another public meeting for Wednesday 16 July, to gauge community feeling.
The future operation of the clinic is sure to be on the agenda.
On 7 June, SHHAG revealed on facebook that Dr Barson had resigned after being asked to take what amounted to a pay cut of about 20 per cent, when his contract with Eastern Health came up for renewal.
“This action clearly shows Eastern Health’s total lack of understanding and appreciation of the GPs and their important work in our community,” SHHAG posted.
“It is unacceptable to replace a community vision for EH profits.”
In response to the Mail’s questions at the time, Eastern Health branded the post as the ill-informed view of a small minority.
The Mail has however established over the past month that doctors and other staff have been asked to take pay cuts, there have been further allegations of bullying, growing disillusionment, and an alleged ban on staff talking to the media.
The issue is not only about pay cuts, but a situation that is seen as an attempt to undermine the community GP model by requiring the doctors to push through more patients.
The GP clinic model was designed to cater for clients with complex health problems. A critical element was longer session times and an integrated approach to other services to provide a holistic and accessible model of care.
“In the developmental process, we consulted with other GP practices. We identified the clients we felt were currently underserviced and spoke with the clinics about the way we would design this clinic for those with additional needs including chronic illness, mental health illness and those who were generally disadvantaged in the community,” said SHHAG member Jane Judd, who was instrumental in setting up the clinic.
“That’s also why it was designed as bulk billing only,” she added.
She said doctors employed by Eastern Health couldn’t get Medicare rebates so, under the model, doctors worked as private providers contracted to Eastern Health.
Ms Judd explained that they donated 100 per cent of their medicare rebates back to Eastern Health and were paid an agreed proportion, which was between 70 and 80 per cent when the clinic started.
Reducing the proportion would make it financially unviable for the doctors to see complex clients, Ms Judd said.
