The future for 16 Great South Coast Medicare Local (GSCML) staff in Warrnambool is uncertain after a new operator secured the tender for the health service in the south-western region.
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Geelong-based Barwon Medicare Local (BML) beat GSCML for the tender to provide services across the new Grampians and Barwon South West Primary Health Network, part of which had previously been serviced by GSCML.
GSCML employs 16 staff at its offices in Bayside City Plaza in Fairy Street. Their positions will be reviewed under the new contract.
BML chief executive officer Jason Trethowan said it would advertise positions on the new PHN and encouraged current staff to apply.
Medicare Locals were set up throughout Australia by the last Labor government to fill gaps in health services.
They do not provide health services themselves but work with hospitals and the primary and community health sectors to ensure people did not become “disconnected” from the health system if they needed to transfer to different health sectors.
The Abbott government is merging the Medicare Locals into 30 primary networks to create cost-saving efficiencies. GSCML last year raised concerns that BML would be too Geelong-centric to service the new Grampians and Barwon South West region, that will stretch from the Bellarine Peninsula east to the South Australian border and north past Warracknabeal.
However, this week GSCML chief executive officer Glenda Stanislaw said she was confident BML would provide a high level of service to western Victoria, despite the challenges of operating over a large geographic area
Mr Trethowan said BML was committed to having staff and management based in Warrnambool.