Caring for 20 years: Wagga GP After Hours Service celebrates milestone

The Wagga GP After Hours Service is celebrating 20 years of providing urgent after-hours primary care to the residents of Wagga Wagga.

Former MPHN CEO Nancye Piercy and former Federal Member for Riverina Kay Hull share the honours of cutting the anniversary cake.
(Back row from left): MPHN Chief Executive Officer Melissa Neal, Jan Campbell from Wagga Wagga Medical Centre, Dr Rod Burgess, Dr Hanaa Mishricky, Dr Samiha Azab, Associate Professor Ayman Shenouda, Dr Charles Oliver, and MPHN’s Board Chair Dr Jodi Culbert.

Murrumbidgee Primary Health Network (MPHN), who funds the valued service via Commonwealth funding, gathered many of the services’ long-standing supporters together on Friday to mark the occasion.

MPHN Chief Executive Officer Melissa Neal said she was thrilled to be able to acknowledge the dedication of the services’ doctors, receptionists and participating practices on the night.

“The Wagga GP After Hours Service success is a result of the tireless work and dedication of many people to both establish and maintain the service for all these years,” Ms Neal said.

“Many of our GPs have been working with the service for extended periods of time, some for the entire 20 years.

“Their commitment to helping care for our community is inspiring; we’re so grateful to them.”

When the idea for a dedicated after-hours service was first raised in 2001, there were only eight general practices in Wagga Wagga, with a ratio of one GP to every 2,448 residents.

It took two years of campaigning and advocacy from many stakeholders, including past MPHN CEO Nancye Piercy and former Federal Member for Riverina Kay Hull, before the service was officially opened in 2003.

Over the last 20 years, the Wagga GP After Hours Service has provided almost 112,000 consultations by 209 serving GPs. On average, the service conducts 5,500 consultations and 240 home visits each year, many of those to the most vulnerable members of our community.

MPHN’s Board Chair Dr Jodi Culbert said the after-hours service provides the city with a critically important function.

“As one of the GPs on the after-hours roster, I know many patients come to us needing GP care, not wanting to end up in our emergency department,” Dr Culbert said.

“Our after-hours service gives the community options to access urgent care if something happens in that after hours period and they can’t wait to see their usual GP the next day.

“I’m very proud Murrumbidgee Primary Health Network has been able to continually provide this much-needed service.”

On the night, longstanding service was recognised with the following awards:

20 years of service from a practice

· Wagga Wagga Medical Centre – Jan Campbell, Practice Manager

· Morgan Street Healthcare Clinic – Dr Hanaa Mishricky, Practice Principal

20 years of service from a GP

· Associate Professor Ayman Shenouda

· Dr Hanaa Mishricky

· Dr Samiha Azab

19 years of service from a GP

· Dr Lee Jeffery

· Dr Charles Oliver