Regional Queensland doctors are calling for the return of mass vaccination hubs across the state, to blunt the impact of rising COVID-19 numbers.
On Wednesday, the number of COVID patients in hospital topped 1,000 for the first time since the pandemic began.
The Australian Medical Association’s Queensland branch also warned this week that the state was ranked last in the country for its take-up of COVID vaccination booster shots.
GPs overwhelmed
Dr Roger Faint said his Buderim clinic on Queensland's Sunshine Coast had been running morning vaccination clinics that would provide doses of the COVID-19 vaccine to dozens of people at a time.
But Dr Faint, also president of the Sunshine Coast Local Medical Association, said the clinic was forced to wind back the programs because that demand meant other patients were having to wait too long for appointments.
"We began to realise that this was eating into normal clinic times for patients who want to get in for their diabetes check or primary health care check," he said.
"We’ve actually had to make a decision to not have large [vaccination] clinics," he said.
He said the clinic now offered doses of the COVID-19 vaccine to patients during their usual appointments.
With anyone over 30 eligible for a booster shot, he believed it was time to restart the mass vaccination clinics that dotted the state through the earlier years of the pandemic.
"It would make some sense for Queensland Health to have a hub to take up this initial incredible need for vaccination, right at the moment," Dr Faint said.
About 250km north, Bundaberg GP Brad Murphy was on the same page.
The local health service said it was increasing its number of COVID-19 beds, and keeping fever clinics open.
But Dr Murphy said local health workers were still under pressure.
"The vaccine hubs were absolutely crucial. With them closing, it's back on GPs and pharmacists to do what we do best," Dr Murphy said.
"But it is an impost on us because it takes away from our core business of looking after the general community and doing our chronic disease management strategies to keep people well."
Mass vaccination challenge
Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine President Sarah Chalmers said regional, rural and remote areas had different needs.
She said those clinics needed extra staff and resources to not only offer COVID-19 vaccines, but also to take time to check in with patients.
"It will actually allow GPs to have to have those initial conversations about why they're having another vaccine and what else they can do to reduce their chances of getting COVID," Dr Chalmers said.
"I think they [vaccination hubs] may be very useful in more built-up areas, but in the less urban, more sparsely populated areas, I think there are other solutions that we could look at."
Pharmacies say they're filling gap
Pharmacy Guild of Australia’s Queensland president, Chris Owen, said there was no need for more mass vaccination hubs, because pharmacies were filling the gap.
"We know that there are available appointments all across Queensland.
"I don’t see any need to be able to re-establish the mass vaccination clinics."
Health department says no to hubs
A spokeswoman for Queensland Health said while vaccination hubs "were successful in their intended aim", there were no plans for a return.
She said pharmacists and GPs were now at the centre of the vaccination effort, "ensuring our frontline staff are available as needed".
| Region | Patients in hospital with COVID-19 (including ICU patients) |
ICU patients with COVID |
|---|---|---|
Cairns and Hinterland |
44 |
2 |
Central Qld |
15 |
1 |
Central West |
1 |
0 |
Childrens Health QLD |
13 |
1 |
Darling Downs |
65 |
2 |
Gold Coast |
100 |
1 |
Mackay |
26 |
0 |
Mater |
49 |
1 |
Metro North |
194 |
7 |
Metro South |
137 |
0 |
North West |
6 |
1 |
South West |
4 |
0 |
Sunshine Coast |
76 |
2 |
Torres and Cape |
2 |
0 |
Townsville |
51 |
2 |
West Moreton |
38 |
2 |
Wide Bay |
64 |
0 |
| TOTAL | 885 | 22 |
Regional COVID hospital breakdown correct as of July 19, 2022.
