$1.4m For Medical Centre To Attract New Gps

Newcastle Herald

Wednesday December 10, 2003

By CARLY HENNESSY

SCONE Shire Council has taken out a $1.4million loan to build a medical centre in an attempt to attract four new doctors.

Scone has an unusual set up where the town's eight doctors work from one building in Surman Street.

The centre will be built behind the existing building and the old consulting rooms will be demolished, landscaped and turned into a carpark.

GPs will sign a memorandum of agreement with the council today to seal the deal, General Manager Daryl Dutton said.

Doctors will lease space from the council.

``There'll be enough space for 12 consulting rooms, with an operations area for minor surgery, some treatment rooms, pathology and a training centre for medical students and registrars," Mr Dutton said.

The council decided to take health care into its hands after a meeting with doctors indicated they would support a new centre.

He said the doctor shortage was not too serious in Scone ``but we didn't want the problem to deteriorate."

``So we thought let's redevelop the land and put in a brand new facility."

Scone is luckier than many rural centres which struggle to keep doctors.

But the town was in need of specialists such as a surgeon and anesthetist.

Mr Dutton said construction would start after Christmas.

The council has borrowed most of the $1.4million, receiving $250,000 from the Federal Government.

© 2003 Newcastle Herald

Back to News Index | Back to Home