Urology services return to Bundaberg

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Fay Steel no longer needs to travel to Brisbane with her husband John for urology appointments thanks to the return of a local public urology service which see patients from the Wide Bay Hospital and Health Service area access a clinic at Mater Private Hospital Bundaberg. They are pictured with WBHHS Chief Executive Debbie Carroll and Mater General Manager Catherine Hackney.

Public specialist urology services are once again available in Bundaberg thanks to a partnership between the Wide Bay Hospital and Health Service (WBHHS) and Mater.

Currently, patients have to travel to Brisbane to access urology services. However, under this partnership model, a visiting Mater urologist is now providing services to WBHHS patients at the Mater Private Hospital Bundaberg.

Wide Bay Hospital and Health Board Chairperson Peta Jamieson said this initiative demonstrated the health service’s commitment to ensuring equity and access for all patients.

“It’s a real barrier for patients when they need to travel to access specialist services. That’s why we’re finding ways to offer quality specialist care closer to home,” Ms Jamieson said.

“We’re thankful that Mater is a valuable partner that will be able to provide urology services locally in Bundaberg. Offering a service locally makes a real difference to patients and ensures they can receive the same care that they would receive if they lived in Brisbane.”

“Securing a local urology service through working with the Mater is a great example of WBHHS acting on two of our strategic plan objectives of providing equity and access for all people in our region and fostering partnerships so we can better serve our community.

Mater Private Hospital Bundaberg General Manager Catherine Hackney said 25 people have already benefitted from the agreement.

“This is an exciting collaboration to address a gap in services in Wide Bay and, in turn, improve the health and wellbeing of those in our community,” Ms Hackney said.

“It’s a great demonstration of how Mater can draw on its expertise across all of its campuses to deliver high-quality care to those who need it most.”

Ms Hackney said the partnership reflected Mater’s commitment to identify and address unmet needs in the communities it serves.

WBHHS Chief Executive Debbie Carroll said it was wonderful to work with Mater to bring a specialist urology service back to the Bundaberg community and looks forward to supporting many local patients.

“I know this is welcome news for the Bundaberg community, as it will make a real difference to the health and wellbeing of many locals who can access urology services locally,” Ms Carroll said.

“We have 300 patients from the Bundaberg area on the urology waiting list, so we know that this is an important issue and service enhancement for our community.

“Traveling to Brisbane for specialist care is disruptive to patients’ daily lives, takes them away from their support networks and, for some patients, can be physically difficult due to other medical conditions or mobility issues.

“Removing this barrier and bringing urology back to Bundaberg is a great win for our patients – it’s giving them the right care in the right place at the right time.”

This initiative aligns with our strategic plan objectives Equity and access and Foster Partnerships.

Find out more about our 2022-2026 strategic plan Care, connection, compassion for all.