THE Wallsend After Hours Medical Service faces closure in about six weeks following the decision of the local health district to effectively withdraw $150,000 in annual funding provided in the form of staff and premises.
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Patients would be forced to wait instead to access treatment at already-busy hospital emergency departments, the service’s supporters say, labelling the cut shortsighted and counterproductive.
The privately run bulk-billing service, at Longworth Avenue, opened in 1993 after the state government closed Wallsend Hospital in 1991. Patients can access a GP, nurse and X-ray services at the site.
Two of those involved in its operations, who asked not to be named, said it was one of the most comprehensive in the region and treated up to 20 people on a weekday and more than 30 a day at weekends.
Residents of the nearby Wallsend aged-care centre are also able to access X-ray services.
Hunter New England director of district hospitals and community networks Susan Heyman said its full subsidising of the service’s nursing and administrative support would cease from July.
A licensing agreement for these services was in place with the principal GP, she said.
‘‘This agreement has now expired and for the past 12 months we have been in discussion with the practice about an appropriate arrangement moving forward,’’ she said.
‘‘A number of options were presented, including HNE Health continuing to provide a further two years of rental assistance should the private practice wish to continue operating.’’
She said the scope and provision of after-hours medical care in Newcastle ‘‘has changed significantly since the service began’’, and patients could now access a range of such services for urgent complaints.
Wallsend MP Sonia Hornery called it ‘‘another nail in the coffin for health services at the site’’, and will raise a petition against the move.
She questioned whether patients would go without treatment in order to avoid long waits at hospitals, and called on Minister for Health Jillian Skinner to intervene.
“This service costs less than $150,000 to run, but the cost of cutting funds to such vital service will be far more than this,’’ Ms Hornery said.
Wallsend resident Barbara Hardes, 83, was at the centre of the campaign to keep the hospital, built on land donated by Newcastle Wallsend Mining Company with money raised by miners.
Mrs Hardes, who has been a service patient, said she was ‘‘too old to take to the picket line’’ but that it was another loss to the community.
