COMMUNITY HOPES TO SAVE THEIR DOCTOR

And here is the truth that absolutely needed to be covered today…

Doctor committed to the community

24 Nov 2016, 12:06 p.m. 
Great Lakes Advocate
Pacific Palms residents (and others from wider afield) who packed out the community hall on the evening of Wednesday,  November 23 to try and find our much-valued doctor David Norus alternative accommodation following problems with his lease at the private Boomerang Beach medical centre, were shocked to hear him say that a report in the Great Lakes Advocate that morning  had so damaged his reputation and his honour, it now made it impossible for him to remain in our area.
As a journalist myself, I was appalled at the one-sided reporting that quoted Dr Wayne Halpin, who owns the premises in question, and gave no balance to Dr Norus’ side of the dispute.
Before this travesty of one-sided reporting was published there were high hopes that alternative accommodation could be found to service some 3500 patients who travelled from as far as Taree to experience his expertise and wise and compassionate counsel.
Until he read your report, Dr Norus had indicated he would like to start a new practice here, and commit himself to this area for many years to come.
But the Advocate has well and truly sabotaged those plans, and has a lot to answer for.
Believe me there is wide-spread deep anger and resentment towards the paper.
An apology should be published, but will probably be too late to reverse Dr Norus’ decision.

Tim Bowden,
Boomerang Beach.

Good coverage on a very important local rural issue. They will get another doctor to take over the clients that have flocked to Dr Norus, but they will definitely be facing an uphill battle being half as good as the good Doctor. Then their is the issue of continuity, medical records, starting afresh with a new doctor who rushes you through (“that’s all we have time for, make another appointment”) and of course bulk billing.

We want Dr Norus to stay!

Thank you NBN3 for a well rounded coverage that effects so many.
The history of medical services in the Pacific Palms area has not been a stable one and in the past 15 years we have experienced Dr Cassano, Drs Halpin, Dr Melinda Wilson, Dr Fairleigh and an occasional locum to allow the resident Dr to have a break.
Dr Halpin owns the site of the only registered practice and he left to work in the Newcastle area but maintains the current site as an investment property and obviously wishes to get a return on his investment. That is a business decision.
The history of the Drs Cassano and Fairleigh residencies has been checkered with debates over the nurses on duty to the cost of rent. They likewise moved on to greener pastures. It would be fair to say that many of the residents that utilise the Palms practice are on a health care card or even a pensioner card and it has been more than appreciated that Dr Norus as well as Drs Cassano and Fairleigh have all accepted a bulk billing arrangement for those patients so registered.
Both State and Federal representatives were contacted when no doctor was available in the Palms during the Labour Fed Gov’t era (2011) and received a response from the ministers office (Hon Nicola Roxon) declaring that the Gov’t could not assist at the time and that any doctor wishing to take up a practice in the Palms would like any other business entity make a commercial decision on the profitability of the site.
To ease the burden of cost and encourage a doctor to man the practice owned by Dr Halpin a local business has been subsidising the rent…that is an admirable gesture and should be acknowledged but where do we go from here. Personally I believe the next doctor in residence may not be so generous and perhaps a bulk billing arrangement may not be available. Dr Norus is a rare fellow being humble, welcoming, capable and a life saver to many of the 3500 patients that used his services. His shortcoming was his lack of business acumen which he acknowledged and I suggest that any doctor taking up residence in the Palms practice might care to establish a rent payment on a direct debit basis to appease Dr Halpin and guarantee continuity as well I suggest that when the lease renewal is due any agent worth his salt will ensure the documents are issued well in advance of renewal and a follow up process be set in place for the same reason.
The residents in the Palms area can not continue to be changing Family Drs on a regular basis and although it is a commercial venture for medical professionals the ethics of the profession and the aspect of Family Doctoring should allow patients to have an ongoing relationship where the GP becomes familiar with the patient and has a long term knowledge for better outcomes.
The local newspaper did not do the residents of the Palms area a reasonable level of respect by publicly declaring the situation regarding Dr Norus’ departure although bad news sells papers. Had they considered the difficulty the area has had in obtaining a GP perhaps they may have counseled all parties in the negotiation and been a little more factual and tactful in their presentation.
We await with baited breath for the arrival of a new GP.