GP Super Clinics rise and fall
It seems that one GP Super Clinic’s loss is another one’s gain as the government announces a million-dollar bailout for a Queensland Super Clinic only a few days after plans for a Tasmanian clinic are scrapped.
The Redcliffe GP Super Clinic is being given another $3.2 million after work on the development was forced to stop last month because of a lack of funding, Health Minister Nicola Roxon announced today.
And this comes only a few days after it emerged plans for the Sorell GP Super Clinic in Tasmania, one of four planned for the state, have been scrapped because it needed additional funding which Ms Roxon said was “not available” (link).
The government insists that the clinic’s $2.5m funding will instead be “invested in improving frontline health facilities” through possible GP infrastructure grants.
Meanwhile extra funding to Redcliffe GP Super Clinic comes after the government said it was difficult for the Redcliffe Hospital Foundation, which is managing the project, to access other forms of financing because of it being a Queensland state hospital foundation and the project being on state hospital land.
“Recognising the unique circumstances of this project, the Commonwealth has agreed to provide up to $3.2 million to enable the Redcliffe GP Super Clinic to be completed”, Ms Roxon said, after sending in former AGPN chief David Butt as ‘troubleshooter’.
The Federal government has already put $10 million into the project but work stalled because the State government refused to sign off on a loan, according to reports in the Courier Mail (link).
