The Kyneton Hospital’s new chief executive says an innovative solution may be needed to address concern about the facility’s late-night services.
A dispute between the hospital and local doctors emerged in 2012 and led to the demise of the after-hours roster.
The problems were set against the backdrop of wider community concern about the hospital’s management and there were angry scenes at Kyneton District Health’s annual general meeting last November.
The chief executive, Maree Cuddihy, says while the return of an after-hours roster is being discussed, the provision of rural health services is changing.
“That’s because of … changes in terms of workforce and different work-life balances that some of the younger existing medical officers aspire to have, compared to the past,” she said.
“So I think it is something that we will need to be innovative about but we’ll certainly do that in conjunction with the medical community.”