Point Clare Medical Practice has received $25,000 through the Federal Government’s Strengthening Medicare General Practice Grants Program to buy a new internal phone system and a ABI machine, to assess for vascular disease.
Member for Robertson Gordon Reid dropped in to deliver the good news, saying primary health workers provide outstanding patient care.
“Through the Strengthening Medicare General Practice Grants Program, general practices across the region are receiving much-needed support to help with medical equipment purchases, practice renovations, and so much more,” he said.
“This program is about supporting primary care which is the foundation of our healthcare system.
“I am pleased to know that Point Clare Medical Practice has already put its funding to good use, helping improve patient care and outcomes.”
General Practitioner Dr Emily Stoddart said the support had helped upgrade the practice.
“We were pleased to receive the Strengthening Medicare GP grant as it allowed us to purchase an entire new phone system for the practice,” she said.
“General practice has been under-funded for so long that the purchase of even essentials like phones has had to be postponed.
“Our previous phone system was so old that replacement parts were no longer available and one of our clinical rooms didn’t even have a working phone in it.
“The new system is cloud-based and could allow staff members to work from home if needed.
“We also decided to buy an ABI machine which is a specialised medical machine that allows us to measure the ratio between the BP in the arm and the leg.
“It is used to assess patients for peripheral arterial disease which is a chronic medical condition occurring in 20 per cent of the population over the age of 65 (and 50 per cent are undiagnosed).
“It is often linked to cardiovascular disease and so is an important condition for patients and doctors to know about.
“We are using the machine to improve diagnosis and to assist us in managing leg ulcers.”