Sexual health service cuts to go ahead despite outcry    

Date
    August 3, 2013


Queensland's peak medical body has warned it is a public health catastrophe waiting to happen; specialist doctors say it will set a dangerous national precedent. Now, even the Prime Minister has attacked the Newman Government's decision to dramatically slash services at Brisbane's only free sexual-health clinic, Biala.

Kevin Rudd has described the decision to cut 30 jobs at the clinic and refer STI treatment and diagnostic services to general practitioners as "just plain wrong on so many levels".    

But the state government remains unrepentant, determined to push on with cutting 30 jobs and scaling back services, after economic analysts Deloitte calculated the move could save up to $4 million each year.     :(




"It would seem the Newman Government and the Metro North Hospitals and Health board are willing to accept the advice of accountants about the medical care for HIV patients and ignore the medical opinions of prominent health experts," Mr Rudd said.      :(


His comments came as one of the Biala clinic's specialist doctors, the highly respected Theo Van Lieshout, warned the closure could set a dangerous precedent.

"If it goes through, every other sexual-health service in Australia is at risk because it's a quick grab for money without any consideration for the long-term implications," Dr Van Lieshout said.      :(

"The unintended consequences of this have not been thought through. The Minister needs to go to the (Metro North) board and say: 'Reverse this decision'."

A spokesman for Queensland Health Minister Lawrence Springborg said a review had been undertaken and the changes would be implemented over the next nine to 10 months.

"Initially, there was a proposal from Metro North Hospital and Health Service and after concerns were raised, the minister ordered an investigation to review the changes," he said.

"As a result there was a longer transition period and now the changes are being implemented.

"At every stage in the process, the investigation has borne out this is entirely appropriate to be delivered by GPs.

"We believe it has been most thoroughly investigated and the resources are to be utilised effectively."

Dr Van Lieshout warned of a rising incidence of antibiotic-resistant strains of gonorrhea entering Australia and said without specialist training, GPs may miss symptoms.

"GPs will do essential, basic sexual-health checks but the performance of GPs in the fields of sexual health is not particularly great," he said. "GPs are very busy people, they are supposed to be paediatricians, surgeons, psychiatrists, they can't keep up with everything."

He said the decision also comes as rates of chlamydia, syphilis and gonorrhea rise in Queensland, with fly-in, fly-out mine workers, tourists and travellers regularly bringing in new strains of disease from Asia.

"What essentially is not being dealt with is this is an anonymous, free service," he said. "Men might visit sex workers and not want to go to their GP because they have the image of Mr Nice Guy.

"Fly-in, fly-out workers might have multiple sexual partners, develop symptoms and then fly back to Brisbane and possibly have sex with their girlfriends, without having an anonymous service to go to for treatment."      :(

Read more: http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/queensland/sexual-health-service-cuts-to-go-ahead-despite-outcry-20130802-2r49r.html#ixzz2awslqrq0

Oh Mr Newman.  You've done it again.      :(