THE sooner the better, say Hunter GPs who are waiting on news from the federal government about the future of the region’s vital after-hours health service, GP Access After Hours.
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While the government considers the findings of an independent review of after hours services, they are operating in a vacuum with no guaranteed funding past June 30.
The national review was ordered last year and been completed but has not been publicly released.
The Hunter’s GP Access After Hours service helps 80,000 sick people per year, diverting many of those from emergency rooms, reducing pressure on the region’s busiest hospitals and saving the government thousands of dollars.
The chairman of the Hunter General Practitioners Association, Kotara GP Dr Tony Isaac, said the 250 local GPs who worked together to provide the Hunter’s ‘‘gold standard’’ after-hours service were seeking some certainty.
He said they do not know why the findings have not been released.
The after-hours service is run by Hunter Medicare Local, one of 61 Medicare Locals around Australia which will be replaced with a smaller number of Primary Health Networks as of July 1.
A consortium of healthcare providers, including the state-government run Central Coast and Hunter New England Local Health Districts, regional non-government organisations, Aboriginal health services, local government agencies and private providers has applied to run the Hunter New England Central Coast Primary Health Network.
‘‘It is expected that successful PHN applicants will be announced as soon as possible, to allow for an establishment and transition-in period, prior to PHN commencement on 1 July, 2015,’’ he said.
