Liberal candidate calls for full-time GP in Denham while Shire president seeks permanent part-time doctor

The Liberal candidate for North West Central is calling for the State Government to deliver a full-time doctor service in Denham to accommodate the influx of tourism during peak season. Will Baston said the town was currently dealing with extremely long wait times to see a doctor and urgently needed to have a full-time GP. “Waiting six weeks or more for an appointment with a local GP in Denham is completely unacceptable and needs to be addressed urgently,” he said. Mr Baston said the current allocation of a doctor for 1.5 days a week was nowhere close Australia’s 3.52 per 1000 people, according to the Department of Health 2016 fact sheet. “To meet the Australian average there should be a full-time doctor for the permanent resident population and additional surge capacity during peak tourism season,” he said. “I am calling on the State Government to start the process of improving services by immediately engaging an additional full-time equivalent qualified GP and undertaking a study into the real demand for services during peak tourism season, then implementing a surge response.” Shire of Shark Bay president Cheryl Cowell said it was something the community had wanted for some time and finding a permanent part-time GP was on the Shire’s books. “Being able to see the same doctor more than once is handy with the older age population,” she said. “We’ve worked over the years to try and get this to happen, it’s getting harder and harder to visit a doctor.” Ms Cowell said the Shire would appreciate a part-time doctor in Denham, but it was very competitive in remote areas. “Being a small Shire and having a limited budget we’ve looked at being competitive,” she said. “But you have to supply them accommodation, all the consumables and they want a high salary. At this stage what we’re hopeful for is to source a part-time doctor.”