Low income patients will no longer have access to subsidised physiotherapy at Caroline Springs from August.
The Caroline Springs Community Health Centre – operated by Djerriwarrh Health Services – at Lake Street will move around the corner to a Caroline Springs Boulevard site in August.
Physiotherapy will not be offered through the Djerriwarrh service because of a commercial agreement with a private operator at the site.
Instead, it will operate in a purpose built physiotherapy centre at Melton Health and Community Services in Melton West.
Emma Brelsford, of the Victorian Allied Health Professionals Association, said the closest alternative for patients would be to attend IPC Health in Deer Park which has long wait lists for physiotherapy.
“The issue is that patients won’t have access to physiotherapy any more at that Djerriwarrh Health,” Ms Brelsford said.
“These are people who are on veterans affairs entitlements, pensioners and low income health care card holders.”
Ms Brelsford said it would take patients about 25 minutes by car from Caroline Springs to Melton for appointments – even longer on public transport which is not always reliable.
“Patients are then left with a choice of travel to a Djerriwarrh service in Melton, which a lot of them can’t because of their disability and their injuries, or going on a long wait list at another service,” she said.
“Djerriwarrh Health Service is a public hospital and healthcare provider … anyone who goes to a private physiotherapist needs to have health insurance or a lot of money to be able to afford to go.
“Also, private physios don’t always provide the same kind of specialised hospital rehabilitation that hospital physios do in cases like when people have had strokes or have been in a severe car accident.
“Our main concern is the patients and we’ve been consulting with Djerriwarrh Health and trying to get some communication with patients to find solutions.”
A Djerriwarrh Health spokesperson said that management has been working closely with all affected clients over recent months to develop “comprehensive individualised strategies to ensure current levels of care are maintained”.
Caroline Springs Community Health Centre will continue to offer a range of services including; paediatrics, podiatry, diabetes education and financial counselling.
