Lakes Entrance set out to make a point on Saturday, and it is fair to say the message was heard well beyond the Footbridge.
The Longest Waiting Room event was created to draw attention to the urgent need for an additional senior GP in Lakes Entrance, and the community achieved exactly what it set out to do.
Not only did the story make Channel Seven News in Melbourne, it also reached Channel Seven National News, placing Lakes Entrance and its doctor recruitment campaign in front of audiences across the country.
“For a town working hard to turn a serious local health challenge into a positive, solutions-focused campaign, the result was a major boost,” Lakes Entrance Action and Development Association president, Sharen Cameron, said.
“The event was designed to show, in a very visual way, what long waits for GP appointments mean for local people, while also sending a clear message to doctors considering a lifestyle and career change: Lakes Entrance is ready to welcome you.
“Channel Seven’s Nick McCallum and cameraman JP travelled to Lakes Entrance to capture the story, and their coverage helped give the campaign the reach it needed.
“While the story may have carried a little more drama than organisers first imagined, the community was more than happy to accept national attention for such an important cause.”
The event brought together residents, business owners, health workers, community leaders and families, all standing behind the same message: Lakes Entrance needs a GP.
“The chairs lined up for the Longest Waiting Room were more than just a clever media image. They represented real people, real appointment delays, and the pressure being felt by local patients and the medical team trying to care for them,” Ms Cameron said.
Civic leaders, including East Gippsland Shire mayor, Cr Jodie Ashworth, CEO Fiona Weigall and other councillors, also took part, sitting alongside community members as they would in any doctor’s waiting room. Their presence reinforced that this is not just a medical centre issue, or a patient issue, but a whole-of-community issue.
One of the most powerful moments of the day came from Stephen Alsop, who gave a heartfelt account of the care he received from Cunninghame Arm Medical Centre.
“If it wasn’t for the amazing doctors at CAMC, my children would be fatherless,” he said.
His story was a reminder that local access to skilled, committed doctors is not a convenience. For some people, it is the difference between life and death.
Bianca Bassett also spoke with courage and clarity, highlighting the challenges faced by people living with complex medical issues in regional communities. Without adequate services close to home, she said, people can face the prospect of having to leave the community they love and relocate closer to services in Melbourne. Her story brought home the human cost of health workforce shortages in towns like Lakes Entrance.
Organisers thanked every local person who participated, particularly those who braved the cold wind and helped create such a strong visual statement. Many participants also spoke to media, sharing personal stories about why access to local health care matters.
A special thank you was also extended to the Lakes Entrance Lions Club volunteers, who provided a sausage sizzle. Their generosity, good humour and practical support helped turn a serious advocacy event into a warm community gathering, highlighting the importance of local volunteers.
The initiative was made possible through grant funding received by Cunninghame Arm Medical Centre from the Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine through a Rural and Remote Community Support Grant, which supports practices to work with local community leaders on senior doctor recruitment efforts.
LEADA played a key supporting role in helping bring the event together. LEADA president Sharen Cameron said the collaboration reflected strong community commitment to addressing local health workforce needs and supporting practical recruitment initiatives.
That partnership between the medical practice and LEADA demonstrated what can be achieved when organisations work with a shared purpose to strengthen essential services in Lakes Entrance.
“The response reflected what the campaign is really about,” Ms Cameron said.
“While the need for more doctors is serious, the story Lakes Entrance wants to tell is also one of welcome, lifestyle, opportunity and community support.
“This is a town that is not waiting quietly for someone else to solve the problem. It is actively reaching out to the right doctor and saying there is a place here.
“The Longest Waiting Room has now achieved two important objectives: stronger local awareness and national media attention. Most importantly, it may have reached the person the campaign is trying to find — a GP ready for a sea change, a rewarding professional role and a community that will value their contribution.”
The campaign will now move into its next stage, continuing the local business pledge drive and building a community welcome package of goods, services and experiences for the doctor who chooses Lakes Entrance.
That initiative has already been strongly supported, with Sarah Carlisle from Venture Out leading the way through a generous pledge of a full year’s free hire of a brand new e-bike. It is a practical example of the campaign’s intent: welcoming a new doctor with genuine local experiences that showcase the Lakes Entrance lifestyle.
Many other local businesses have also made pledges, with others encouraged to join in and add their own contributions, whether that be meals, tours, services, memberships, gift vouchers or practical support.
Ms Cameron said the strong response from businesses and residents highlighted the community’s determination to support the recruitment effort and ensure essential health services are strengthened.
“The Longest Waiting Room was never just about one day or one media story. It was about showing that Lakes Entrance is united, determined and ready to do something different,” she said.
“Thanks to the people who attended, the businesses backing the campaign, the volunteers who supported the day, the grant funding that made it possible, and the media coverage that carried the message further afield, the message is clear: Lakes Entrance needs a GP, and this community is ready to welcome one.”
