Background
I started my new role as the Doctor on Lord Howe Island at the start of May 2025.
The appointment of a new doctor is a good time to revisit the contractual arrangements for the provision of medical services on the island. Having already worked here as a locum, I had a good understanding of strengths and weaknesses of the system, which put me in a great position to advocate for some important changes.
One of the things I wanted to address was the billing model for out-of-hours and emergency care. I strongly believe that wherever you are in Australia, you should have access to publicly funded emergency healthcare. South East Sydney Local Health District (our local health district) was also keen to support a change to the model, and we worked together to find a solution.
What’s changing?
Publicly funded hospital care for serious and life-threatening medical emergencies is now available at Gower Wilson Memorial Hospital to all Medicare card holders. The previous out-of-pocket charges will no longer apply in these situations.
Please be mindful that this really is just for emergencies.
- There are restrictions and this funding only applies to serious and life-threatening emergencies.
- If your issue is not deemed to be a serious or life-threatening emergency, you will still be offered a consultation with the doctor, but this will be billed as a GP consultation and the appropriate fee will apply. For out-of-hours care in this scenario, the fees remain similar to those charged previously, as per our fees list.
I hope that these changes will have a positive impact on the health and well-being of the community and I look forward to caring for you for many years to come,
Dr Tom Leach
May 2025
