The loss of Northern Tasmania’s only full-time neurologist shows specialists need more support if more doctors are to be attracted, Australian Medical Association Tasmanian president Dr Stuart Day says.
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Half the state was reliant on a single specialist which was “unrealistic” as medicine was a 24/7 service, Dr Day said.
Day’s comments followed the resignation of Launceston General Hospital neurologist Dr Kurien Koshy, who alleges his cries for support were ignored.
Soon after Dr Koshy’s resignation, Health Minister Michael Ferguson announced a second neurologist would be sought as well as Dr Koshy’s replacement.
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Dr Day said Northern Tasmanian needed to offer a competitive package and job security to prospective specialists.
“If we can learn something from this, it’s that we need to support our specialists. A single specialist can’t do everything,” Dr Day said.
"I don't believe think Hobart is oversupplied (with neurologists), but clearly the North and North-West has an under-supply.”
About five full-time neurologists operated out of Hobart, he said.
"Without those specialists, patients with problems would have to sent elsewhere to Melbourne or Hobart, or don't have access to the services, or they could be seen by a general physician or locum."
While locums – casually employed doctors - provided good service, they were time-limited and there was a risk of poor continuation of patient care if there was not a consistent specialist involved, Day said.
"Locums don't develop a service, they keep it ticking along."
The downgrade in the hospital’s teaching accreditation for internal medicine earlier this year meant it would be challenging to attract young doctors as they could only complete two of three years of basic training at the hospital, he said.
Opposition leader Rebecca White said Mr Ferguson should be focused on recruiting and maintaining permanent medical staff for the Launceston General Hospital.
“Instead, we see a continuing increase in locum costs each year and a Minister who is just not serious about working with hospitals and existing staff to encourage them to stay or attract new staff to our regions.”
In response to Ms White’s comments, a government spokesperson said the comments had “no credibility”.
The government had announced plans to employ more staff across the state, the spokesperson said.
“It has been a decades long struggle to attract and keep qualified medical staff and specialists in Tasmania.”
However, they said as the state’s popularity and economy grew, there were hopes it would attract more people to move here.
When asked about the recruitment plan for attracting the two neurologists, the government did not respond.
A Tasmanian Health Service (THS) spokesman said the service always preferred to employ its own specialist medical staff.
“It is an unfortunate reality that recruiting to some of these areas is extremely difficult,” he said.
“Many medical specialties are in high demand both nationally and overseas, and that also poses challenges for retention of staff. Like other professions, medical specialists make their own decisions on where they wish to live and further their career.”
The THS was forced to use locums to ensure the full range of medical specialties was available to treat patients, he said.
“Generally it is more expensive to use locums, but a failure to do so would result in services simply not being provided.”