A NOTICE published in local media and a mailed letter have left some Coleraine-Casterton Medical service patients with more questions than answers.
A patient of the clinic received a letter on the service’s letterhead, addressed from the practice manager and dated 21 December 2022, advising an appointment scheduled for early in the new year was cancelled.
The letter advised as the service was “unsure of availability going forward, we are unable to make a new appointment at this stage”.
The letter advised the patient, who suffers from a chronic health condition, to phone the clinic in the new year “when we hope to have been informed of alternative arrangements”.
No further information was received, however in Saturday’s edition of Hamilton’s The Spectator and this edition of the Casterton News, a paid advertisement was published with the headline ‘Retirement of Dr Brian Coulson’.
The notice advised Dr Coulson had retired from medical practice and that a succession strategy to transition ownership of medical clinics at Casterton and Coleraine had been unsuccessful; it stated a potential sale of the clinic in June 2021 was “thwarted by another entity”.
It also indicated an attempt was made to sell the practice to Western District Health Service, “however we have now been advised by WDHS that they will not take up this opportunity to provide a service to the communities”.
The notice advised clinic premises - it was unclear whether this was Casterton, Coleraine or both – would be open for “administrative activities only, for the month of January 2023”.
Casterton News contacted the Coleraine-Casterton Medical service director, Coralie Coulson, on Monday for further clarification on the matters addressed in the notice.
Ms Coulson did respond to the contact, however no further information was forthcoming, including clarification as to whether the service was completely ceasing operation.
The Coleraine-Casterton Medical service operates from suites on the Casterton Memorial Hospital grounds and in a statement to Casterton News, yesterday, the hospital’s interim chief executive, Mac McInnes said the hospital “have not been notified by Casterton Coleraine Medical Clinic that they would be ceasing operation from its Casterton premises”.
“Riverview Family Health are continuing to provide visiting GP health services to CMH … we will continue to work with other partners for the betterment of health in the Casterton community,” Mr McInnes said in the statement.
In June, last year, at a stakeholder meeting involving local users of GP engaged Primary Care services, the Coleraine-Casterton Service announced that Dr Coulson would be withdrawing from Visiting Medical Officer (VMO) work and on-call services to the Coleraine & Casterton Hospitals.
In a statement, the service cited safety concerns and Dr Coulson’s ability to give best practice care, given he was the sole provider of these services.
An end date of three months’ time was given, for the VMO services.
Shortly thereafter, staff at the Casterton clinic received a letter advising the service would be closing its doors as of 26 September, 2021; this announcement was followed up by a statement from CMH’s then chief executive, Owen Stephens, advising the Casterton service would be “remaining open post the initial closing deadline communicated of the 26th November”.
“CMH together with WDHS and Rural Doctors Association Victoria have negotiated support for CC Medical to assist in GP personnel coverage,” Mr Stephens said.
“CC Medical are also in the positive process of securing another GP for the Practice which will assist greatly in required medical service coverage and hence has enabled Dr Coulson to remain in practice across our region post the end of November.”
In September, Casterton Memorial Hospital announced a new partnership with Casterton’s other GP service, Riverview Family Health, to provide visiting health services to the hospital.
At that time, then chief executive, Owen Stephens, thanked Dr Coulson for his services and welcomed the new arrangement with Riverview.
“As all would be aware the access to General Medical Practitioners across rural Australia continues to be a challenge,” Mr Stephens said at the time.
“Through this partnership with Riverview Family Health CMH will continue to deliver sound Medical services within our community for now and into the future.
“General Practitioners from Riverview Family Health are anticipated to start work from CMH by the end of the month subject to finalisation of required documentation and agreement details.”
Western District Health Service chief executive, Rohan Fitzgerald said yesterday his organisation had received notice “in late December … that the Casterton and Coleraine Medical Clinic would close its doors at the end of January 2023, due to the retirement of respected GP Dr Brian Coulson”.
Mr Fitzgerald said with six weeks to find a resolution and the timing made all the more difficult due to the Christmas / New Year period, WDHS was unable to secure an ongoing commitment by a GP to run or work at the clinic – making it unfeasible for the Health Service to purchase the practice.
“WDHS will continue to work hard to secure community based medical services for Coleraine and Casterton - although it will be challenging to get a community medical clinic up and running between now and the end of January,” he said.
“I would like to thank Dr Coulson for his substantial contribution to the provision of medical services to the Coleraine, Casterton and surrounding communities over a 40 year period.
“It is a remarkable achievement, which is unlikely to ever be rivalled. I would like to wish Dr Coulson all the very best with his retirement.”
Riverview Family Health service continues to operate as a GP service in Casterton.
