A Beaconsfield medical practice has grown from a single doctor to eight after a $500,000 state government grant funded a clinic expansion.
Dr Prashanth Reddy opened the new wing yesterday, naming it after Dr Anthony Lyall, the solo practitioner who ran the clinic for 30 years before Reddy took over.
The expansion is expected to more than double the clinic’s patient capacity.
Under Lyall, the practice handled about 4,500 consultations a year.
In comparison, Reddy’s team has delivered close to 30,000 consultations over the past three years and expects that number to reach 50,000 in the next 12 months.
He said the growth had likely prevented thousands of emergency department visits.
“If we’re not trying to be preventive in the beginning, the conditions can worsen and they land up in hospital,” Reddy said.
“Out of the 25,000 consults, maybe 5,000 would have landed in the ED, which we avoided.”
The grant covered about 80% of construction costs.
Reddy said running a bulk-billing clinic while also funding infrastructure upgrades would have been difficult without government support.
His organisation now operates three of the four GP practices in West Tamar, with additional sites at Exeter and Legana.
Across four clinics – including one in Newstead – the network employs 30 practitioners.
Reddy said the mission remained the same at every location.
“We have one mission – to make sure that healthcare is accessible, affordable and not compromising on quality,” he said.
The government has also committed to converting the Legana practice into an urgent care clinic.
Health Minister Bridget Archer said the expansion would benefit the wider region, including Beauty Point and surrounding areas towards Exeter.
Liberal MLC Jo Palmer, who lobbied for the funding, described the project as “a game changer” for families, older residents and people with disabilities.
Reddy said the development reflected strong community support.
“This expansion is pure trust, partnership and deep commitment,” he said.
