In a move, which will benefit many Hunter residents, the GP Access After Hours (GPAAH) clinic at the Calvary Mater is set to reopen this week.
The all-important service resumes its operations from Monday 29 May following a $28.7 million investment from the Labor government.
The clinic is now accessible on weekdays from 6pm until 10pm, Saturdays between 1pm and 8pm, and Sundays from 9am until 4pm.
Appointments must be booked via the GPAAH call centre on 1300 130 147.
Opening hours at the Westlakes Community Health Centre in Toronto will also increase on Saturdays, from 1pm until 8pm, from 3 June onwards.
The service at Belmont Hospital, John Hunter Hospital and Maitland Hospital is expected to be fully-restored over the coming months, too.
Newcastle MP Sharon Claydon, in company with Wallsend state MP Sonia Hornery on Sunday 28 May, labelled the decision a “massive win” for the community.
“I want to express my gratitude to the people of Newcastle for making this possible,” she said.
“After an incredible community campaign, more than 11,000 Novocastrians signed the petition to save this essential service.
“It was your strong advocacy that saw the government’s record investment to restore GP Access to its full capacity.
“The reopening of the Calvary Mater GPAAH clinic means Novocastrians will once again have access to free quality primary healthcare outside business hours.
“The only card you’ll need is your Medicare card.”
The former Liberal government cut funding to the service, forcing the Calvary Mater facility to close permanently and four other clinics to significantly reduce their hours from Christmas Eve 2021.
But, after making a pre-election commitment, Labor reinstated the financial assistance to the Hunter New England Central Coast Primary Health Network (HNECCPHN) to commission Hunter Primary Care (HPC) to bring it all back.
“The GP Access management team has worked tirelessly to ensure the seamless restoration of services,” HPC’s chief operating officer Keith Drinkwater said.
“Many hours of work have been put into working with staff and local GPs to re-establish the workforce, as well as the Calvary Mater and other key stakeholders to ensure we have the space and equipment required to re-open the clinic.
“We are extremely grateful to Sharon Claydon and her team, the HNECCPHN, management of the Calvary Mater, and the local community for their ongoing support to make it all possible.
“We understand that the Calvary Mater service has been greatly missed by the community over the past 18 months, so we are very pleased to be now in a position to reinstate this valuable service.”
Shortland MP Pat Conroy admitted he was proud to work with the community, alongside his Hunter Labor colleagues, to campaign to restore this service.
“This government is listening to the Lake Macquarie and broader Hunter residents,” he said.
“The re-opening of Calvary Mater is the first tranche in the rollout to restore this service.
“I look forward to working with PHN over the next few weeks as further clinics are restored.”
Paterson’s Meryl Swanson echoed her fellow MPs’ sentiments.
“Together we are making good on a commitment to reverse the bad decisions of the former Liberal government,” she said.
“We’ve restored a vital service that should never have been cut.”
Hunter MP Dan Repacholi agreed.
“Reinstating the hours for the Toronto GP Access After Hours clinic was one of the biggest commitments I took to the election,” he said.
“So, I am pleased we’ve been able to deliver it.
“The full hours will be restored in coming weeks, and this will mean residents can see a doctor while they are sick and will reduce our overcrowded Emergency Departments.”
For more news stories:
Get all the latest Newcastle news, sport, real estate, entertainment, lifestyle and more delivered straight to your inbox with the Newcastle Weekly Daily Newsletter. Sign up here.