A Broome doctors’ surgery says it has been inundated with new patients since one of the town’s three surgeries closed.
Late last year, a GP clinic in Old Broome closed, leaving just two practices to service both locals and dry season tourists.
Lesley Parker is the manager of the Broome Doctors Practice.
She says waiting lists for an appointment have blown out as a result.
“We’ve just lost one doctor in the town, there’s now just the two practices left and we’ve had to absorb all his patients,” she said.
“It has made us very busy, never mind the extra dry season flow-in of people to town.
“Now that we’ve had to absorb more patients from the other practice we are finding we have wait lists each day.
“We had them through the last wet season and now again in the dry we’ll have wait lists.
“We’ve tried different ways of managing this but sometimes with the sheer volume of numbers you just can’t help it.”