The body that represents rural doctors wants an urgent meeting with Tasmanian health managers amid concerns about the future of services in regional areas.
The Rural Doctors Association is worried about health services being axed in regional Tasmania.
Some services in Oatlands are being outsourced to Hobart.
The association’s president Dennis Pashen said Nubeena, on the Tasman Peninsula, was set to lose two doctors by the end of October.
“I understand contracts have been ceased and well established practitioners in the area are being basically absented from providing care to that community as a result of cessation of contracts,” he said.
“There’s risk to the community’s health and access to services as a result of cutbacks.”
Professor Pashen has asked for a meeting with the Tasmanian Health Organisation.
Tasman Mayor Jan Barwick also has concerns.
“A lot of people just can’t go and go off to another doctor and spend probably a minimum of an hour to an hour and a half travelling,” she said.
“We are also pretty upset that we are going to be losing some GPs who have provided us with continuity of care.”
Fiona Onslow from the Hobart District Nursing Service has given assurances the doctors will be replaced before the end of the month.
“There’s always challenges facing staffing a GP practice in rural community,” she said.