With so much misinformation having been promulgated about the move of the Wanniassa Medical Centre to Phillip, and several undeserved attacks on the reputations of the doctors, I want to correct a number of myths.
Firstly, that Wanniassa patients won't be able to make appointments to see their GP.
The Wanniassa practice has moved 5km up the road, nothing else has changed. Appointments, billing, choice of doctor etc remain the same.
This lie has been promoted by a self-serving Canberra politician and has caused much needless anxiety for patients of the Wanniassa practice. If she had any decency she would apologise to patients.
Secondly, the lie of fast throughput. Doctors at Phillip average four to five patients an hour.
Today I started work at 7am and finished at 5.30pm. In that time I worked steadily and saw 50 patients.
My colleagues all work at a equivalent rate.
That rate is comparable with GPs anywhere in Australia. Not fast throughput, just long hours.
Thirdly, that we don't care for the chronically ill. We see all sorts of patients at Phillip, many have adopted one of our doctors as their GP.
Some would have previously gone to the emergency department at the Canberra Hospital.
Some have their own GPs but can't wait several days to see them, while we are open from early until late every day.
Many attend because other GPs will not see new patients. Some attend because they don't have the $60 charged by most GPs. So we see a variety of patients, including many with chronic illness.
The doctors who work at Phillip typically have about 30 years of clinical experience, and until joining Primary Health Care ran their own practices. These people don't just suddenly stop caring about their patients. And contrary to the myths, we practice as we please without corporate interference: no quotas, we can choose any pathology or X-ray service complete professional autonomy.
Several of the doctors at Phillip were on the cusp of retirement from general practice. Corporatisation has kept them working.
Not only that, it has enabled all of us to work more efficiently by freeing us of the ''shopkeeping'' role and allowing us to focus on patient care.
Doctors at Phillip found the comments from Dr Sue Wareham (Letters, August 12) particularly offensive. She implies that because Primary Health Care makes a profit, the doctors at Phillip don't care about their patients.
Are we to believe that her practice runs at a loss?
If the Phillip Medical Centre hadn't existed, I wonder where the 60,000 different patients who have attended our clinic in the past two years would have gone?
Robert Allan, medical director,
Phillip Medical Centre
Your correspondents (E.Campbell and Dianne Proctor, Letters, August 12) have done an excellent job of highlighting the reality of corporate medicine.
There must be thousands of cases that echo ours: patient finally finds a great GP.
After three months, the GP closes practice in favour of an irresistibly high salary at Phillip Medical Centre.
Patient tries to find out GPs hours so he can see him, but it's a matter of pot luck, as there are no appointments.
One day, patient needs medical attention and arrives at Phillip Medical Centre just before opening time.
There is already a queue of half of dozen people waiting to get in. He waits and waits.
No explanation or apologies to those waiting, but it turns out there is only one doctor in attendance and he is dealing with an emergency patient sent by Canberra Hospital. It is likely to be a very long wait.
Receptionist advises that leaving the premises is not permitted you just have to sit and wait.
Seven hours after arriving at the centre, patient finally gets to see a doctor.
Some months later, when patient decides to register with a new GP in a proper practice, Phillip Medical Centre refuses to provide him with a copy of his medical records.
Discussions with the Health Ombudsman confirm that centre's refusal is in breach of ACT legislation.
Records are finally obtained. If this is a ''super clinic'' you can have it.
Karina Morris, Weetangera