Private hospital overfill concerns

A long-term south coast resident has expressed his concern about a potential influx of patients at the hospital.

Wayne Singh, 71, of Hindmarsh Island, has been attending Victor Medical Centre since 1999 and has been treated by Dr Wildman in that time.

Image above: Wayne Singh is a patient of the Victor Medical Centre and said he has built a strong relationship with the surgery’s staff. He is pictured with doctors Colin Ingham, Chris North, Graham Wildman, Annabel Roberts, Ross Greasley and Cherie Price.

He has a number of medical conditions that have been managed by doctors at the surgery over time.

“You build up a good relationship with all the doctors in the practice because you don’t always see him (Dr Wildman) all the time,” he said.

“They stick to what they know and manage and keep you out of hospital.”

Mr Singh said as a private patient, the doctors have his medical history and can manage certain health conditions. For anything outside the doctor’s knowledge, they can refer him to a specialist.

“From my point of view, it’s about continuity of care; they know my history and know all my records,” he said.

Mr Singh was concerned there would be an increased demand for private services, which may result in the beds at the Victor Harbor Private Hospital being overfilled.

Country Health SA chief executive officer Maree Geraghty said flexi beds are offered at the public hospital.

She said if the spaces at the private hospital were filled, the service offers flexi beds so patients could be admitted as private, while physically being located in the public hospital.

Health care level should not dictate quality of care received: Public patient

A public healthcare patient going through cancer treatment locally says having one doctor has been a great comfort and made life easy.

Cancer patient Joan Squires is a public health patient who, as of March 1, will not be attended to by her GP at the South Coast District Hospital, should she be admitted.

She discovered she had several tumours on her spine a month ago and was flown to the RAH in the week before Christmas to start treatment.

There, she received radiotherapy and some chemotherapy. Her continued care has happened at the South Coast District Hospital and she is due to check out on Friday, January 23.

From there, Mrs Squires and her husband will move in with their daughter – who lives at Port Elliot – to receive care.

Mrs Squires is formerly of Cut Hill, and was living in Mount Gambier for the past 10 years before her cancer diagnosis.

She has seen multiple doctors since her treatment began, and she is currently being treated by Victor Medical Centre’s Dr David Batt. He had previously taken care of the family’s medical history when they lived in the area.

Mrs Squires said it was of huge comfort for her family to know they had one doctor, who they have an established relation with and who has knowledge of their medical history.

She said she is not in a position to get private health and it would be a waste of money because of her “impossible situation”.

“The level of my health care should not dictate the quality of care I receive.”

By Anthony Caggiano

Story republished courtesy of The Times, Victor Harbor
(Photo courtesy of The Times, Victor Harbor)