The Tasmanian town will get continuity of care following the resignation of its only doctor in a high-profile case of GP burnout.
Ochre Health has stepped in to fill the gap left by the resignation of the only doctor in the small east coast Tasmanian town of St Marys.
Two weeks ago, Dr Cyril Latt resigned after 16 years saying the workload was “out of control” and he was at high risk of burnout.
Dr Latt was on call for the hospital most days and could not be further than half an hour away in case of an emergency.
“I’m the only doctor for the emergency department 24/7, 365 days a year,” he said.
“My family lives in Launceston and I have two kids in Hobart, and I can’t see them … I see them on school holidays, so roughly three times a year,” he told the ABC.
Ochre Health runs a network of more than 60 rural, regional and urban medical centres countrywide, including 17 clinics across Tasmania, from Flinders Island to Bridport, Cygnet and nearby St Helens, and will take over from Dr Latt at St Marys Community Health Centre from 2 October.
Tasmanian Health Minister Guy Barnett thanked Dr Latt for his service and said he looked forward to “working with both Dr Latt and Ochre Health on a smooth transition that delivers a sustainable health service for the broader St Marys community”.
