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Transcript

Katie Woolf spoke with NT Primary Health Network Health Workforce Manager Paul Connolly · 360 with Katie Woolf

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: Well, the situation with the Catherine GP service is one
• 0:03
  Speaker 1: which has been raised with us on numerous occasions, and
• 0:06
  Speaker 1: we know that the Northern Territory Primary Health Network have
• 0:09
  Speaker 1: confirmed that an interim GP service operated by our fewer
• 0:13
  Speaker 1: medical clinics is going to commence this Thursday. Now joining
• 0:17
  Speaker 1: me on the line to talk more about it, from
• 0:19
  Speaker 1: the Northern Territory Primary Health Network, the Health Workforce Manager,
• 0:23
  Speaker 1: Paul Connolly, Good morning.
• 0:25
  Speaker 2: Paul, Good morning, Katie. How are you very well?
• 0:29
  Speaker 1: I know that there'll be so many people in Catherine
• 0:32
  Speaker 1: who are so pleased to hear that an interim GP
• 0:35
  Speaker 1: service is set to begin on Thursday.
• 0:40
  Speaker 2: Yes, I'm very pleased to announce that it will commence
• 0:43
  Speaker 2: this week. At this stage we have services being delivered
• 0:47
  Speaker 2: on Thursdays. However, we are in discussions with other gps
• 0:52
  Speaker 2: and we'll try and add additional days and increase that
• 0:55
  Speaker 2: schedule as those gps confirm their availability.
• 0:58
  Speaker 1: So talk us through exactly how it's going to work
• 1:01
  Speaker 1: in the interim poll.
• 1:04
  Speaker 2: So the community can nestar to as of today book
• 1:08
  Speaker 2: appointments and we will be sharing a flyer with our
• 1:11
  Speaker 2: stakeholders and we have an ad scheduled for Catherine Times
• 1:15
  Speaker 2: and some other media to make sure that the phone
• 1:17
  Speaker 2: number and the details are available to the community, so
• 1:21
  Speaker 2: as it would with any other GP clinic, Coudy, people
• 1:24
  Speaker 2: can call up book and appointment and see a GP
• 1:28
  Speaker 2: face to face. And as I said, this will be
• 1:31
  Speaker 2: a bit of a moving feast. As more GPS become available,
• 1:34
  Speaker 2: we will let the community know as hours increase, So.
• 1:37
  Speaker 1: At this stage the service will just operate on Thursdays initially,
• 1:42
  Speaker 1: and then it will progressively build up as more of
• 1:44
  Speaker 1: those gps are confirmed.
• 1:47
  Speaker 2: Absolutely, that's correct, And we do have four GPS that
• 1:51
  Speaker 2: we're currently speaking with at the moment who will be
• 1:53
  Speaker 2: able to cover some part of that schedule, so as
• 1:56
  Speaker 2: we get the green light from them, we'll be able
• 1:58
  Speaker 2: to add those days.
• 2:00
  Speaker 1: And Paul, do we have any idea when things will
• 2:02
  Speaker 1: sort of get back to normal in terms of there
• 2:05
  Speaker 1: being that full time GP service.
• 2:08
  Speaker 2: Yeah, so no time frame as yet. But as we've said,
• 2:12
  Speaker 2: the situation is still the same as it has been
• 2:16
  Speaker 2: from our perspective in that there are a number of
• 2:18
  Speaker 2: interested parties interested in setting up a new long term service. However,
• 2:23
  Speaker 2: a lot of that is commercial and confidence discussions, so
• 2:26
  Speaker 2: we can't really get into the middle of it, but
• 2:28
  Speaker 2: we are working to support them where we can and
• 2:31
  Speaker 2: where they've made themselves known to us.
• 2:34
  Speaker 1: And will the GP service it's just going to operate
• 2:37
  Speaker 1: on Thursdays initially. Is it going to be where is
• 2:40
  Speaker 1: it going to be and Catherine in the same place
• 2:42
  Speaker 1: where people have previously been able to see a GP
• 2:45
  Speaker 1: or somewhere else.
• 2:47
  Speaker 2: Yeah, somewhere else. So it'll be based at the Rocky
• 2:49
  Speaker 2: Ridge Aged Care Facility, which is fifteen Rocky Ridge Road.
• 2:54
  Speaker 2: It's just directly across from Catherine Hospital. I can and
• 2:58
  Speaker 2: there will be signage which is going up today for
• 3:01
  Speaker 2: the community to direct them to the facility and to
• 3:04
  Speaker 2: the clinic.
• 3:04
  Speaker 1: And in terms of the costs, I mean, can people
• 3:07
  Speaker 1: anticipate that it's going to cost around the same amount
• 3:10
  Speaker 1: as what you would have paid to previously see the GP.
• 3:14
  Speaker 2: So this interim service will be fully bulk builled, so
• 3:18
  Speaker 2: there will be no cost to Medicare card holders at
• 3:22
  Speaker 2: this stage. As far as the longer term service, not
• 3:26
  Speaker 2: so sure yet, but this one will definitely be free
• 3:28
  Speaker 2: of charge.
• 3:29
  Speaker 1: Well, like I say, I think there'll be plenty of
• 3:32
  Speaker 1: people in Catherine who are pleased to hear that this
• 3:34
  Speaker 1: interim service is going to get underway, even if it
• 3:37
  Speaker 1: is only on Thursdays initially as you've said, though hopefully
• 3:41
  Speaker 1: building that up as more gps are confirmed. Paul, where
• 3:45
  Speaker 1: can people go if there may be after a little
• 3:47
  Speaker 1: bit more information, Well.
• 3:50
  Speaker 2: We will be on the ANTIPHN website, which is antiphn
• 3:53
  Speaker 2: dot org dot au. We will make sure the information
• 3:56
  Speaker 2: is available there and we'll also share it through our
• 3:59
  Speaker 2: Facebook page each and people in the community would encourage
• 4:04
  Speaker 2: them to also speak to their usual health or other
• 4:06
  Speaker 2: healthcare providers because we'll be making sure we share all
• 4:09
  Speaker 2: the details through those networks that we're engaged in as well. Okay,
• 4:13
  Speaker 2: if I could just add to remind the community whilst
• 4:16
  Speaker 2: the service is one day at this stage and hopefully
• 4:19
  Speaker 2: increasing very soon, those other services are available as people
• 4:23
  Speaker 2: do need to access the GP outside of those hours
• 4:26
  Speaker 2: that tell you health services from Health Now, the pharmacy
• 4:30
  Speaker 2: and the Headspace facility for people aged between twelve and
• 4:33
  Speaker 2: twenty five.
• 4:34
  Speaker 1: Well, Paul Connelly, the Northern Territory Primary Health networker Health
• 4:39
  Speaker 1: Workforce Manager, I really appreciate your time this morning. Thanks
• 4:42
  Speaker 1: for having a chat with us.
• 4:44
  Speaker 2: No promodad Thanks Katie.
• 4:46
  Speaker 1: Thank you, and well, like I said, some positive moves
• 4:50
  Speaker 1: there for the community of Catherine. I know that a
• 4:52
  Speaker 1: lot of you have been really concerned about the situation
• 4:55
  Speaker 1: and the lack of GP services, But as we now know,
• 4:58
  Speaker 1: there is going to be that service which is going
• 5:00
  Speaker 1: to be able to operate on Thursdays initially and progressively
• 5:04
  Speaker 1: build up as more gps are confirmed.