The Queen Street Medical Centre Tuross Head is set to permanently close on Friday, 30 August 2019.
In a statement (below) issued on Fri 2nd Aug, 2019 a spokesperson for Queen Street Medical Partners advised:
"Despite confronting many health policy and operating challenges since 2015, Queen Street Medical Partners have held firm on their commitment to operating Queen Street Medical Centre Tuross for patients in the local region. However, the difficult and disappointing decision has been made to close this practice – the last consulting day will be Friday, 30 August 2019. Commenting on the closure of Tuross, Queen Street Medical Centre
GP Partner, Dr Neil Starmer says:
“Closing the Tuross Practice is confronting and disappointing decision to have to make. As a partnership we thought we could weather the storm comprising static government rebates, poor GP workforce distribution and rising costs. We have exhausted every avenue available to keep the practice open. This decision should have been made 12 months ago from a business perspective. The only consolation I can offer is that your medical care can continue with the same doctors in Moruya. We can provide the continuity of care, just not at Tuross.”
“The Tuross population will be truly upset and distraught by this loss. I understand that and I can only emphasise that we the partners tried as hard as we could for as long as possible.”
We sincerely understand the impact of this decision upon Tuross regional community and want to reassure our Tuross patients their usual Tuross GPs – doctors Issuru Premawardhana, Thilan Walgamage, Aidan Lawrence, Emily Goodwin and Partner GP Dr Les Roberts Thomson will continue to work their usual rostered Tuross days at our Queen Street Medical Centre Moruya practice from Monday, 2 September 2019.
All Tuross patient notes will remain accessible via our central database in Moruya. Importantly, our valued and experienced Tuross staff will also continue working with Queen Street Medical Centre in Moruya.
Existing Queen Street Medical Centre Tuross patients are encouraged to continue to make their appointments at the Tuross practice, with their usual Tuross doctor up to and including 30 August 2019.
Queen Street Medical Centre is advising Tuross patients that from 2 September, all existing appointments will remain as booked with their usual doctor who will be consulting at Queen Street Medical Centre, 49 Queen Street Moruya.
Also from 2 September, new appointments can be made with their usual doctor who will be consulting at Queen Street Medical Centre Moruya.
*** End of statement ***
The Tuross Head surgery, as it is presently, in the rooms adjacent to the newsagency was opened in March 2010 with Dr Martin Riley installed as the first Tuross doctor for the town in more than two years.
The Tuross Head Surgery was declared open by Eden-Monaro MP Mike Kelly who had worked tirelessly to source the funds for the facility contributing $212,000 towards the cost of building the surgery in the Tuross shopping centre.
Joining Mike Kelly was was Moruya GP and Southern General Practice Network (SGPN) board member Dr Martin Carlson who also recognised the need for Tuross to have its own doctor.
“When Tuross lost its only doctor in January 2008, the Southern General Practice Network realised that something extraordinary would be required to attract a GP to the village,” Dr Carlson said at the time.
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