GP practice to close after losing half its FTE doctors in a year

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A GP practice that was saved from closure four years ago is shutting for good after losing half its FTE doctors within a year.

Goyder’s Line Medical — which runs two other practices in SA towns Jamestown and Orroroo and services three local hospitals — has announced its clinic in Peterborough in the state’s mid-north will close on 8 August.

Its services to Peterborough Soldiers’ Memorial Hospital will also end.

Practice principal Dr Simon Jackson said it had become difficult to provide doctors for six sites “because of the maldistribution of the workforce”.

“This time last year, we probably had the equivalent of eight or nine full-time doctors, and that has now reduced to four and a half,” Dr Jackson told AusDoc.

“It makes it very difficult to provide doctors to cover three hospitals, 24/7 EDs and three clinics. Plus, we provide obstetrics at Jamestown Hospital.

“That is the only reason behind us deciding to close the clinic.

“There is no financial reason.”

Most of the doctors at Goyder’s Line Medical were based in Jamestown and made the 50km trip to Peterborough and Orroroo to provide care.

“Peterborough needs two doctors compared to Orroroo, which only requires one,” Dr Jackson said.

The clinic had faced the same problem in 2021, but after recruiting a full-time GP and several registrars, it had remained open.

“Four years down the track, we are in a similar situation,” Dr Jackson said. 

“Myself and the other principal doctor have just finished working 31 days straight, and it is unsustainable to continue covering the three sites.”

Goyder’s Line Medical had been unable to attract a new registrar for 18 months, while advertisements for IMG doctors had failed to secure any suitable applicants. 

Locums were not an option because of the high rates: around $2000 for a 12-hour shift.  

“In an ideal world, it would be great if we had two doctors who were keen to move to Peterborough and live and work there. Then we would continue,” Dr Jackson said.

“But we have just not been able to find that.”

Last month, Peterborough District Council Mayor Ruth Whittle said she was contacting health officials and government ministers for help.

“This is devastating news for our communities, the people from surrounding areas and the travelling public, all who need the services provided from time to time or on an ongoing basis,” Ms Whittle said in a statement.

Geoff Brock, the independent MP for the 323,000 sq km electorate of Stuart, which covers Peterborough, told constituents he had written to the federal Minister for Health and Ageing requesting a roundtable discussion about the GP workforce.

Dr Jackson said financial incentives were not enough to fix the workforce crisis.

“I think there needs to be more promotion for medical students and junior doctors to look at a career in rural medicine and general practice early on,” he said.

Medical schools were too focused on more specialised care, he said.

“Universities need to start teaching more about primary care, and then that might change the percentage of graduates who look at it as a career competitor to specialty medicine.”

Goyder’s Line Medical was working with the Yorke and Northern Local Health Network to ensure continuity of care “wherever possible”.

Dr Jackson anticipated that the local health network would fund a locum to provide services at the hospital, but whether it could also shore up the future of the GP clinic was unclear. 

“About 1100 people live in Peterborough, plus the farming district as well,” he said.

“But it is also the last town on the Barrier Highway to Broken Hill, so there are remote patients who live between the two towns who would access Peterborough hospital.

Around 10% of the Peterborough population did not have access to a car, he added.

“It is very difficult for them to travel, so we feel guilty,” he said. 

“This is not the decision that we wanted to make.

“But for the sustainability of us as doctors and to be able to continue to provide some services to the region, we had to do it.”