Published on Friday, 13 June 2025 at 9:35:40 AM
On 5 June 2025, the Acting Chief Executive Officer, Aaron Cook and Director Governance and Administration, Bec Horan met with representatives from St John Health Kambalda to discuss the current delivery of medical services in the Shire and the potential for future service provision in Coolgardie.
During the meeting, it was confirmed that there will be changes to how medical services are delivered in Kambalda. The current senior General Practitioner will be reducing their availability and moving to a schedule of five days on and five days off, effective September 2025. Despite this, the Kambalda medical practice will remain open full-time, with two General Practitioners alternating their service on a weekly basis. While the Kambalda clinic will continue to operate full-time, this new model will increase patient demand on available days and remove the capacity to expand services into Coolgardie under the current arrangements.
These changes will also result in minor cost savings for the Shire, with the staffing arrangement reducing from 1.5 full-time equivalent General Practitioners to one. Additionally, the Kambalda clinic will transition to being fully bulk billed from 1 November 2025. While this will reduce cost barriers for patients, it is anticipated to increase demand for appointments, placing further pressure on the clinic’s service capacity.
Discussions also focused on options to support Coolgardie residents in accessing medical services despite the challenges in establishing a dedicated local clinic. Potential alternatives included establishing a formal space in Coolgardie to support telehealth consultations and promoting this option within the community. Another consideration was the use of the Community Assisted Transport Service to support set-day trips for residents to attend appointments at the Kambalda or Kalgoorlie practices.
The feasibility of relocating or adapting the existing transport service was raised to improve access for Coolgardie residents. Consideration is being given to whether savings from the medical service changes could be used to fund an additional community transport vehicle or to expand local volunteer transport options, should there be community interest and support.
St John Health indicated that a dedicated GP service in Coolgardie would only be possible if a General Practitioner was willing to accept the role. Logistical issues such as the time required for daily travel, along with the need to set up and pack down equipment, were identified as significant barriers to operating a part-time clinic in the town.
While the delivery of a GP service directly in Coolgardie is not viable under current arrangements, the Shire remains committed to exploring alternative healthcare solutions for the community, with a focus on improved telehealth access and enhanced transport support.
Further updates will be provided as more information becomes available and potential solutions are developed.
ENDS
For any queries, please contact:
Acting CEO, Aaron Cook
P: 9080 2111
E: mail@coolgardie.wa.gov.au
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