The Andrews Labor Government has taken action to ensure Frankston families will still be able to access after-hours GP care, after a decision by the Federal Liberal Government to withdraw funding has left the local Medicentre with no option but to close this Sunday.
Minister for Health, Jill Hennessy, today confirmed the Labor Government had stepped in to provide additional funding to Peninsula Health to ensure an interim after-hours GP service would remain in place, despite the closure of the Frankston Hospital Medicentre this Sunday.
The interim after-hours GP service will remain open until a longer-term model is put in place, ensuring local families can continue to access after-hours care, when they need it.
The privately-run Frankston Medicentre had been operating at Frankston Hospital since 1986, diverting patients with a range of minor illnesses and injuries from a longer wait in the emergency department.
The GPs at the clinic saw about 10,000 patients a year, freeing up the busy doctors and nurses in the hospital emergency department to see more urgent cases.
It will now close its doors this weekend after the Federal Liberal Government cut $100,000 in funding which had previously been provided through the Frankston Mornington Peninsula Medicare Local – an agency which was disbanded by the Federal Liberal Government.
Ms Hennessy wrote to Federal Minister for Health, Sussan Ley, in October calling for continuing funding, but Ms Ley refused to return the funding despite the Medicentre’s imminent closure.
Thanks to the swift action by the Labor Government, the after-hours clinic will remain open and be staffed by locum doctors while Peninsula Health issues an Expression of Interest call for doctors or a medical centre to provide a longer-term service.
Quotes attributable to Minister for Health, Jill Hennessy
“We have acted quickly to ensure Frankston families don’t miss out on this much needed health service because of the Federal Liberal Government’s decision to cut its funding.”
“We will continue to work with Peninsula Health to put in a place a longer term service and ensure local families can continue to access this care into the future.”
Quotes attributable to Member for Frankston, Paul Edbrooke
“The Frankston Medicentre provided vital care to local families for close to twenty years – by stepping in and providing additional funding we are ensuring this important after-hours care will still be available for local families when they need it.”
Reviewed 10 February 2021