SWAN Hill District Health has moved to continue to grow general practitioner services for the Swan Hill catchment community in response to the recent downturn in available doctors.
Swan Hill District Health and Swan Hill Medical Group have been working together on a proposal that will see the relocation of SHDH Primary Care Medical Clinic, currently based in High Street on the hospital site, into the bigger SHMG purpose-built building at 54 McCrae Street.
This proposal will result in the merging of the two services and create a larger, single GP clinic operated by SHDH.
This follows the death of the local, highly regarded and respected GP who was principal of Swan Hill Medical Group, Dr Stewart Booth, and the subsequent recent reduction in available GP appointments at Swan Hill Medical Group.
SHDH chief executive Peter Abraham said the proposed relocation of the SHDH Primary Care Medical Clinic would ensure that GP services would not only continue operating from the SHMG building but also, importantly, would be able to grow to meet the current and future needs of the community.
“We look forward to welcoming to SHDH the many employees of the SHMG team who have agreed to join our SHDH team as we move forward in this process,” Mr Abraham said.
“SHDH has worked closely with Swan Hill Medical Group over many years in our shared commitment to provide high-quality primary medical health care to our community.
“SHDH takes our responsibility to provide our community with quality healthcare seriously.”
Gaye Booth, the widow of Dr Booth, said providing high-quality healthcare care with distinction to the community was a commitment and a passion of her late husband’s.
“To support this passion, Stewart played a key leadership role in the development of SHMG into a medical practice facility that provided a spacious and welcoming environment for both staff and for the community,” Mrs Booth said.
“He would be pleased to know his legacy is in good hands.”
