SLHS considers combined practice

Dunedin-based South Link Health Services (SLHS) is considering building a GP practice serving up to 10,000 people on the Southland Hospital site in Invercargill.

Executive director Prof Murray Tilyard said it wanted to combine on one site five Invercargill practices it bought this year.

It was in early talks with the Southern District Health Board to develop the combined practice on the hospital grounds.

However, nothing had been decided, and the fact that many locals considered Southland Hospital to be on the outskirts of town meant another site might be chosen.

Prof Tilyard said the practice would be of a standard to attract young GPs to the city.

He agreed the development might help alleviate a GP shortage in the city, where many practices have closed books.

It would hire up to eight GPs serving 8000-10,000 patients.

The development of the centre would take up to four years. In the meantime, the five practices would continue in their own premises.

The SLHS practice model was attractive to young doctors wanting a "life outside medicine", Prof Tilyard said.

SLHS is an independent practitioner association with 501 GPs, 386 practice nurses and 211 practice managers, its website says.

- eileen.goodwin@odt.co.nz

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