Cowra Council has made clear its concerns to the Federal Health Minister about ramifications to local services if medical imaging laws change.
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Alpenglow, which has diagnostic imaging clinics across the central west including Cowra, says it could become too costly to provide CT services if they are no longer exempt from laws that require them to have a supervising radiologist on site.
Cowra Medical Centre sought Cowra Shire Council's advocacy support in relation to the Consultation Regulation Impact Statement release in May 2015 titled Improving the quality and safety of Medicare funded diagnostic imaging services through the enhancement of regulatory and accreditation requirements. and to support the submission tendered by Alpenglow in response to the Impact Statement.
The matter came before last week's Cowra Council meeting in a mayoral report.
"Before Alpenglow opened its site [in Cowra] we had little or no access to the services they now provide in our community," wrote Cr Bill West in his formal letter.
"Patients needed to travel long distances to obtain quality imaging services.
"With the distance to such service, our community experienced significant hardship in obtaining medical imaging services compared to metropolitan areas where such access was readily available.
"In some cases this also affected patient morbidity and mortality where patients received delayed diagnosis and treatment.
"It is our experience that Alpenglow provides a quality of their services which is on at least the same if not better level of quality and patient safety as the metropolitan areas.
"The consequences would be dire for our community if the exemption rule is removed and Alpenglow closes its site in Cowra.
"I urge you to support the retention of the current rural/remote exemption."
The letters were sent to Federal Member for Hume Angus Taylor, Assistant Minister for Health Fiona Nash, Minister for Health Sussan Ley and Shadow Minister for Health Katherine King.
Senator Nash wrote in response for herself and the Health Minister, thanking Council for the letter and stressing further targeted consultation will be undertaken before any decision is made.
She stressed no decision has been made as yet.
