Everyone needs a holiday, but Braidwood has been feeling the absence of local doctors, during a winter when sever viruses have swept through the town, and caused higher than usual absenteeism from schools and work.
At the Palerang Council meeting in Braidwood last Thursday Dr Marjorie Cross made a statement to Council about the 'crisis in medical care in Braidwood', and called for a community forum to consider options for getting more GPs into the town.
"The community needs to be aware of the crisis and be involved in the solutions. We are determined to put a sustainable general practice in place" said Dr Cross.
"We have worked together as doctors; we have involved the Rural Doctors Network; we have involved the Division of General Practice; we have involved the ANU; we have informed the MPS. Our practice managers work tirelessly to try to get doctors."
"The Braidwood practice manager is continually assailed with "what are you doing?" My response to these patients is "what are you doing?"
"We are entering new territory," she said. "If there is no doctor the town will pay. General practitioners often do not want nor need to attend in hospitals. Hospital doctors (ie emergency medicine or VMO's) are not always general practitioners."
Dr Cross asked Council to be the lead agency in the community forum.
"Perhaps by convening a forum of representative community members and suggested that the town needs three doctors working together covering one another."
She urged that the forum look at innovative (sustainable) models and the working and living conditions of the Doctors and their families. Dr Cross said that it "is not about money." She urged that the town be better promoted to attract doctors.
"Oddly - so far - no other committee has actually approached us at the coalface" she concluded.
Jeremy Campbell-Davys is Chair of the Braidwood MPS Committee which is made up of nine community members. The group consists of both men and women of varying ages, representing young families, the farming community, people with chronic illness, older people and the well population. The committee has a variety of skills and expertise including medical, business, education, health professional and farming backgrounds
"While the community has struggled without medical cover the committee has been actively involved in supporting the Rural Doctors in their attempts to recruit a permanent position and are very supportive of the MPS nursing staff in providing emergency care when required, ensuring the risks are as minimal as possible" said Mr Campbell-Davys. "The committee has also provided personal support to the current practitioners in order to maintain medical services in Braidwood."
"The MPS is the heart and soul of the Braidwood community and enjoys enormous support both financially and physically with large numbers of volunteers and friends of the MPS" he said. "It is also the major employer in Braidwood, employing some sixty people."
"The committee is more than happy to work with any one in the community including the council to find a solution to this problem, but is essential to understand that we must work as one community. To set up opposing committees runs the risk of loosing the essential emergency services at the MPS and providing a disincentive for Doctors to move into town. Do you want a town with no Emergency department or after hours medical care?
Any community members that have concerns or solutions around this problem please contact any of the committee members, Jeremy Campbell-Davys, Peter Camiller, Tony Cairns, Mary Mathias, Kristen Sturgiss, David Cargill, Geoff Bunn, Margaret Jones, and Jo Wilson.
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