The Geeveston Medical Centre will soon be operating just two days a week due to the “worsening” national GP shortage.
From the week starting June 17, the centre will only be open on Thursdays and Fridays.
Huon Valley Mayor Sally Doyle said the change will affect patients, but the same number of appointments will be squeezed in.
“We acknowledge that the reduction in operating days will impact patients, however, we aim to offer the same amount of available appointments at the centre,” she said.
The changes will allow Geeveston Medical Centre to provide “more consistent care” with two permanent doctors working part-time and a recently employed experienced nurse practitioner supporting them.
Home visits will also be offered to vulnerable patients.
Doyle said the council remains committed to medical services as an essential service in the valley and is advocating strongly for increased state and federal government support to operate the service.
“While we await state and federal government support, Huon Valley Medical Services has, in the interim, made many operational efficiency improvements and had recent success in attracting permanent doctors to the Dover Medical Centre,” Doyle said.
The mayor said the council will continue to recruit and explore opportunities to rotate GPs between Geeveston and Dover Medical Centres, however it is likely that operating on limited days will continue at Geeveston Medical Centre for the “foreseeable future”.
The blow is the latest to hit yet another Tasmanian clinic and follows recent changes to operations at centres in Derwent Park, Lauderdale and Bridgewater.
