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No outpatient services provided at LRH despite government grant
AMA Victoria has called on Latrobe Regional Hospital to offer incentives to ensure specialist services are retained, after investigations revealed the hospital receives millions in funding for non-admitted patient services, including outpatients, despite offering no public outpatient services.
The future of specialist services at Latrobe Regional Hospital is in jeopardy, following the hospital proposing massive rental price increases for use of consulting suites, making some services unviable.
“The specialists who use these suites are effectively providing public outpatient services for the people of Gippsland, with no support from the hospital. It is reasonable some of the funding provided to the hospital for non-admitted patient services is used to retain these services for the people of Gippsland,” AMA Victoria President Dr Mark Yates said.
“Almost 40 specialists use the consulting suites at the hospital, with many providing discounted rates for a high number of patients because they are aware there are no public out patient services provided in Gippsland.”
AMA Victoria has confirmation the hospital received a grant of $8.7 million for the 2006/07 financial year specifically for accident and emergency services and public outpatient services.
“In light of there being no public outpatient services, the hospital should be using some of this funding to secure the service these doctors provide,” Dr Yates said.
“The huge rental price increases for use of the consulting suites at the hospital do not take into consideration the public service these doctors provide and the impact such changes will have on the people of Gippsland.
“Country Victoria faces a huge shortage of specialists and yet Latrobe Regional Hospital is pushing specialists away - it is ridiculous.
“AMA Victoria has for some years been urging the State Government to ensure there are adequate incentives in place to ensure services can be maintained.
“Public hospitals such as LRH should be doing everything possible to try and retain and attract specialists to ensure the people of Gippsland have accessible and timely healthcare.
“The hospital must act urgently to stop the drain of specialist services from the region,” Dr Yates said.
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