News

After-hours GP Clinic at Cairns Private Hospital offers emergency care alternative

Apr 30, 2021

Far North Queensland residents who need medical care after hours no longer need to queue in busy hospital emergency departments. The After-Hours GP Clinic at Cairns Private Hospital has treated more than 1,100 patients since it opened in February 2020, giving locals an alternative option for medical care after hours.

Dr Bharat Gadhvi, better known as Dr Baz, leads the team of local doctors at the After-Hours GP Clinic, where they take the time to provide quality health care.

“We don’t have the demands or pressures of a busy ED, we have as much time as we need with our patients to really get to the bottom of their problem.

Appointments are generally scheduled for 20 minutes but if we need 30 or 40 minutes, we will spend that time with them - it’s one of the reasons our doctors really love working here,” Dr Baz said.

The After-Hours GP Clinic is located inside Cairns Private Hospital and is open from 6pm - 9pm during the week and from 1pm - 7pm on weekends.

Dr Baz said the team treats a whole range of medical concerns - from children with coughs, earaches and injuries, to people needing wound care post-surgery.

A great benefit of the clinic is its ability to admit patients to Cairns Private Hospital very efficiently if needed.

“About 1 in 20 patients will need to be admitted and being part of the private hospital campus, our process is just so streamlined, we can have the paperwork sorted and the patient into the ward within an hour of seeing us. That efficiency just doesn’t happen anywhere else in the region,” Dr Baz said.

The After-Hours GP Clinic at Cairns Private Hospital is a private service, but you do not need to have private health insurance to access the clinic.

Most patients face an out-of-pocket cost of $95. Pensioners receive a 50% discount.

Cairns Private Hospital Chief Executive Officer Ben Tooth said the After-Hours GP Clinic was a great alternative for people requiring early access to a local GP after-hours.

“Patients don’t just sick during the hours of 9-5pm. This was our vision for the service, to help fill the gap for patients requiring urgent after-hours care with little to no wait time. This is a high quality service where patients receive expert care - sometimes provided by their regular daytime GP!,” Mr Tooth said.

“We know there has been great strain on our local public hospital recently and we want people to know there is an alternative option they can access right here in the heart of Cairns,” Mr Tooth said.

“The team of doctors is backed up by registered nurses and they have the support of many on-call specialists like cardiologists, physicians and general surgeons if needed”.

Patients wanting to access the Cairns Private Hospital After-Hours GP Clinic need to book an appointment by phoning (07) 4052 5305.