18 August 2011

Reactions to the Walk-In Centre review

| johnboy
Join the conversation
9

Following from this morning’s release of the review into the nurse-led Walk-In Centre at the hospital the Greens have announced they’d like it moved away from the hospital so as not to send so many people needing treatment straight into the Emergency Department.

“The issue of increasing category 5 patients at the Emergency Department is potentially a result of referrals from the Walk-in Centre. This can be overcome by re-locating the Centre away from Canberra Hospital, together with increased scope of practice.

Ms Bresnan would also like the constraints on what the nurses can treat removed.

The Nursing Federation is pleased by the review, and also wants the powers of the nurses increased:

ACT ANF Branch Secretary Ms Jenny Miragaya said today that “the report clearly highlighted the Canberra community’s high level of satisfaction with the service. The Walk-in Centre, which is staffed by a small group of highly-skilled Nurses, has made significant improvements to healthcare services and options in the region.”

“The high rates of utilisation, low waiting times and consumers’ high levels of satisfaction with the advice and treatment they received is a wonderful reflection on the Nurse-led Walk-in Centre model and the skill and ability of the staff employed within the centre.” Ms Miragaya said.

The Liberals on the other hand are taking the doctor’s lines via Zed Seselja:

“I’m also concerned to see the centre is operating at less than 30 per cent of its possible capacity. Only 23 patients are being treated daily, out of a possible 80.

“The clinic is costing taxpayers a significant amount, but instead of reducing pressure on emergency departments, it’s adding to it,” Mr Seselja concluded.

Join the conversation

9
All Comments
  • All Comments
  • Website Comments
LatestOldest

I love the service and wish they had one northside as well. At about 4 yesterday I realised I probably had tonsillitis rather than just a cold and needed to get some antibiotics. Almost impossible to get into a GP at that time, so I checked the walk-in centre website and tonsillitis was on the list of treatable ailments. I left my place in the inner north at 5, got there 15 mins later, got a park out the front, was the only person waiting, sat down for about 3mins, saw a nurse and was out by 5.40 and home by 6. Didn’t cost me a cent and I even got antibiotics for free.

Can’t imagine any other GP or clinic would only take up 60mins of my time!

I’ve used the Walk-In Centre a couple of times. Highly recommend the service, and possibly one of the only things Labor has done well.

It’s clean. The nurses are very helpful (they, gasp are English too). Unlike most GP surgeries, they don’t attempt to refer you for X-rays, blood tests and physiotherapy – for a sore throat. Plus, they issue sick certificates, and provide free panadol/gargle/electrolytes.

I’ve waited longer at Woolies Dickson on a Saturday for a checkout, so I can’t complain there either.

Did I mention they don’t bill you for this privilege? No wonder the medical associations are very concerned with this development in health care…BMW leases are expensive don’t you know.

wildturkeycanoe said :

All they can do at the walk in center is pretty much what advice you can get from a chemist. Blood pressure, temperature, general list of Q & A……”well, I think you need to see a doctor about that!”
Considering they can’t give prescriptions and can’t give sick certificates, they are pretty much as useful as the health first phone line. Not to mention, it’s a long way to go from Gunners or Belco.
3/10 for results.

I’ve gotten both antibiotics and sick certificates from them in the past – I’ve always found them quick and very helpful, particularly compared to the waits to see a doctor. Plus it’s free! I give them 8/10 🙂

I remember when suburbs had a free family health centre – full of doctors, nurses, dental and physio services…but that was during/because of the Whitlam years and now most of those centres have been lost to neglect, destruction of medicare bulk billing and lack of funding. People cry about not having access to doctors and fail to see that the vast majority are responsible for the erosion of the system by constantly voting in governments who are against free medical care.

wildturkeycanoe – the Walk in Centre can provide sick certificates – just not a Medical Certificate – what you need depends on your workplace… They can also provide a limited range a medication for you to take home a use – my experience is they provided antibacterial eye drops for my conjunctivitis. They provided this for free, without having to visit a chemist.

They can also do things that are beyond the reach of your chemist – most chemists don’t have an x-ray machine out the back!

Among the leaflets they have is one for drug addicts that promotes homeopathy – produced and printed by a local government funded rehab facility. No government-funded health clinic should be promoting heeby-jeeby alternative nonsense like that. Homeopathy is a total fraud.

I’ve used it twice for the kids – a physical injury – got great service.

The ear infection – normally use CALMs but i read the website and thought they would help. Basically waited 1.5 hours with a sick kid to be given a “harden up princess” and a pamphlet saying that it should go away in a month (and you might vomit a bit or suffer permanent hearing damage). That sorted out the 3 year old right away.

wildturkeycanoe8:43 pm 18 Aug 11

All they can do at the walk in center is pretty much what advice you can get from a chemist. Blood pressure, temperature, general list of Q & A……”well, I think you need to see a doctor about that!”
Considering they can’t give prescriptions and can’t give sick certificates, they are pretty much as useful as the health first phone line. Not to mention, it’s a long way to go from Gunners or Belco.
3/10 for results.

I’ve used the Walk-In Centre a few times. Usually a 20 minute wait, with one or two other people in the waiting room.
Has been mostly for advice re sporting injury or similar, however my partner has been told to go see a Dr as the nurse couldn’t help. We didn’t go to ED – we walked that little bit further and went to CALMS.

The problem with ED is that people go there that should be seen by a nurse or GP – not that people who can’t be ‘sorted’ by a nurse go there.

Daily Digest

Want the best Canberra news delivered daily? Every day we package the most popular Riotact stories and send them straight to your inbox. Sign-up now for trusted local news that will never be behind a paywall.

By submitting your email address you are agreeing to Region Group's terms and conditions and privacy policy.