A gynaecology and obstetrics specialist has been employed to work in South Australia’s Riverland, for the first time in more than 18 months.
A number of specialists have been travelling to the Riverland General Hospital in Berri every few weeks since 2012, when the region’s only obstetrician retired.
Country Health SA says Dr John Taylor has accepted a part-time position at the hospital and will begin on Monday.
Regional director Wayne Champion says Dr Taylor will work with other locum specialists to provide a full-time service.
“Dr Taylor will provide support for the obstetrician GPs and therefore … help enhance the service, help them maintain their skills and capabilities as well as providing certainty … for the gynaecology services without being locum reliant,” he said.
He says it will consider recruiting another part-time specialist in the future.
“So I think in time we possibly will,” he said.
“At the moment we’re comfortable that we’ve got the same pool of locums that have been providing the service … continuing on in the off weeks, because it does provide continuity of care for those women that are already part way through a complicated pregnancy, they don’t have to change doctors unnecessarily.”