The idea behind the unit, which will offer regular day surgery facilities to small rural communities, is to share expensive machinery and equipment, which now can be used locally. Many of these communities no longer have operating theatres or the necessary associated medical equipment. Initially, the unit will visit hospitals at four to five week intervals, using up-skilled local nurses, local general practitioners and regional surgeons and anaesthetists. It is expected the unit will be able to handle the 300 types of day surgery procedures including all the specialties. Mr Gowland acknowledges the Australian rural system is different to New Zealand s and says he has been asked to do a feasibility study on the concept for Australia.
Early results show rural nurses and general practitioners are very keen.
The Chairman of the College s Divisional Group of Rural Surgeons, Dr Tony Green, said he believed any mobile surgical unit established in Australia would have a vastly different role to play because of the variations in geography and workforce distribution. But it may well have a role to play in the provision of sub-specialty services and we are keenly watching the pilot in New Zealand, he said. Mr Gowland warns that small communities may initially see the establishment of such a mobile service as a threat to permanent medical resources, but the New Zealand experience showed initial resistance was eventually converted to active support. Mr Gowland said the mobile service was part of a broader vision than just sharing expensive equipment, it also would help to address the shortage of rural nurses, GPs and surgeons as expensive technology played such an important part in their activities. In Australia, if all the community hospitals closed down there is no way the metropolitan centres could cope.