News on ABC online today about towns in Western Australia’s north-west suffering GP shortages after the announcement of the closure of local clinics in two major communities.
Two Sonic HealthPlus clinics – in South Hedland and Newman – are due to close in the next several weeks and locals report concerns that pressure on already busy regional hospitals will reach breaking point.
The reason for the closure, apparently, is the ongoing difficulty many regional centres, rural communities and city-based medical clinics have been facing since the pandemic outbreak – sourcing doctors and staff.
With the local community in one town already experiencing two-week waits to see GPs, it’s expected wait times will blow-out to more than four weeks. And in a town of 16,000 people, having no GP is definitely not good enough.
Have you adjusted plans to retire to a regional community because of lack of access to quality healthcare? Are you experiencing GP shortages where you live? Tell us your story in the comments below.