I was on call: Doctor

Local residents and Northern Tablelands MP Adam Marshall claim the Glen Innes Hospital was left without a doctor on duty to help patients presenting to emergency on the last weekend in November.

But Doctor Peter Annetts says he was on duty that weekend and he did treat patients.

“After it was established there was no locum doctor I was the doctor on call for emergencies and accidents,” he said.

“The hospital put up a sign saying that accidents and emergency patients will be seen and those that are not in that category should wait to see their own doctor on Monday or they certainly had the option to attend Armidale hospital.

“I did attend to accidents and emergencies that I was called to see too on that weekend.”

Local resident Nikki Lee said she had an emergency situation on that weekend and did receive treatment.

“We had an unwell little boy over that weekend and there certainly was a doctor on duty at Glen Innes Hospital,” she said.

“We were seen too and got all of the necessary care we needed on Saturday afternoon. There are absolutely no complaints from us.”

Mr Marshall said he would push for a system where local GP’s work at the hospital on a roster basis to ensure locum doctors are not relied upon. 

“The locum method is costly and unreliable and it is not good enough at all,” he said.

However, Dr Annetts disagreed with Mr Marshall.

“What happened on that November weekend was for the first time that I can remember the locum doctor did not turn up for duty,” he said.

“I have been in Glen Innes for 32 years and we had the GP roster system when I arrived and it does not work.

“The locum system is a far better system because it preserves the sanity and the health of the local GP, it is a really good system and we support it.

“We actually staff the hospital every night of the week and quite a few weekends as well, this was a very rare occurrence when the locum system didn’t work.”