Necessity breeds innovation: GPs help prevent an emergency department closure.
In January 2006 the Maryborough Base Hospital in Queensland faced imminent closure of its emergency department (ED) due to a shortage of senior medical staff. At the same time patient confidence in Queensland Health was low. During consultation forums, the community had made it clear that their priority was to maintain emergency services in Maryborough. In search of a solution, the Fraser Coast District Health Service asked Maryborough general practitioners to work in the Maryborough Hospital ED and/or in the internal medicine ward as Visiting Medical Officers. While this represented a solution to the problem, there was much to be considered before such a plan could be put into place.
Rural Clinical School, Fraser Coast Region, School of Medicine, University of Queensland, Maryborough, QLD 4650, Australia. r.partanen@uq.edu.au
Riitta L
RL
Partanen
Maxine L
ML
O'Brien
Diann S
DS
Eley
D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital / Q000458:organization & administration; D058005:General Practitioners / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006271:Health Facility Closure; D006801:Humans; D008503:Medical Staff / Q000600:supply & distribution; D019982:Organizational Case Studies; D011793:Queensland; D000078329:Workforce