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Claydon, Hornery still fighting to save GPAAH service at Calvary Mater

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Even though time’s fast running out, two local politicians are still fighting to save the GP Access After Hours (GPAAH) service at the Calvary Mater Hospital.

Newcastle federal MP Sharon Claydon and Wallsend state MP Sonia Hornery remain defiant, despite the clinic’s imminent closure from Christmas Eve.

Operating hours at similar facilities at the Belmont Hospital, John Hunter Hospital, Maitland Hospital and Westlakes Community Health Centre in Toronto will also be reduced.

Ms Claydon presented a petition last month to Minister for Health Greg Hunt, with more than 11,000 signatures, to salvage GPAAH at the Calvary Mater.

Unfortunately, it appears that gesture was in vain.

In fact, he failed to respond to her personally, opting to palm-off that responsibility to his Chief of Staff Joanne Tester instead.

A tenacious Ms Claydon and Ms Hornery then met with residents on Thursday 23 December to discuss the impacts of the termination of the service at the Waratah-based hospital.

The former laid the blame squarely on Prime Minister Scott Morrison.

“The government has delivered the worst Christmas present imaginable to the Newcastle and Hunter region by failing to take responsibility and fund our GPAAH before its closure on 24 December,” Ms Claydon said.

“GP Access has played a vital role in relieving pressure on our local hospital emergency departments for more than two decades, treating more than a million patients since its inception.

“However, due to eight years of savage cuts to Medicare under liberal governments, our service will close its doors tomorrow at the Calvary Mater Hospital permanently and significantly reduce the operating hours at its four remaining clinics.”

Ms Claydon said the government had completely abandoned Novocastrians by cutting the essential primary healthcare service in a time when the community needed it most.

“Slashing this GPAAH will have a profoundly negative impact on residents and will place enormous pressure on our public hospital emergency departments,” she explained.

“Keeping this service fully-operational makes good sense from a social and public health perspective.

“But, it also makes good economic sense, saving our health system up to $21 million per annum.

“Over 11,500 people signed the petition – and this number continues to grow every day.

“Hundreds of people from the community have reached out to share their stories of what this service means to them and their families.

“They have expressed their dismay and disbelief, their frustration and anger over these reckless cuts.

“It is madness to cut a service that is saving the government millions of dollars every year and the Morrison government’s refusal to restore funding to our GPAAH is pathetic.

“The [funding] shortfall is a drop in the ocean for the Commonwealth’s budget.

“However, the ripple effect is enormous – hurting tens of thousands of families who currently use the service.

“Our community, our hospitals and our frontline workers will suffer because of the short-sightedness of this tired eight-year-old government who is truly out of touch with the Hunter.”

Ms Hornery also expressed her annoyance, stating the region’s emergency departments were already being stretched to “breaking point”.

“The NSW Government has reduced funding for the service in recent years on the premise that the delivery of primary care services is a Commonwealth responsibility,” she stated.

“But, the benefit to the NSW Health budget from the existence of the GPAAH is the avoidance of ED presentations for minor medical issues.

“This takes pressure off emergency departments in terms of waiting times and allows those resources to be spent in the areas of greatest clinical need.

“For the tiny investment of $600,000 per year, the savings to the NSW Health system is more than $20 million.

“The maths is simple.

“If the service closes people will flood our EDs – and the cost will eat into the NSW Health budget.

“The Health Minister needs to review this decision and work with his federal colleagues to keep this vital service open before it is lost forever.”

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