The Lakes Entrance Needs a GP campaign team has extended a heartfelt thank you to everyone who took part in The Longest Waiting Room, a community event designed to draw attention to the urgent need for an additional senior GP in Lakes Entrance.
The event brought together local residents, patients, doctors, business owners, volunteers, community leaders and supporters, with 90 chairs placed across the Lakes Entrance footbridge to represent both the long wait many people are experiencing for appointments and the additional medical capacity the community is hoping to attract.
While not everyone who supported the event was able to attend on the day, organisers have acknowledged the many different roles people played in making the event such a strong success.
“This was not just about the people sitting in the chairs,” event coordinator Sharen Cameron said.
“It was about everyone who shared the message, helped with planning, volunteered their time, supported a participant, cooked sausages, assisted with filming and photography, spoke to media, came along to stand with us, or simply encouraged us from afar. Every person played a part.”
The event received significant media attention, including coverage from Channel Seven National News, Victorian and regional television broadcasts, WIN News, ABC radio and local media. Organisers say the attention achieved exactly what the campaign had hoped for, putting Lakes Entrance in front of doctors who may be considering a sea change and looking for a community where they can make a genuine difference.
Some media coverage described the event as a “protest”, but organisers say that was never the intention.
“Our message is not about protesting,” Ms Cameron said.
“This is a positive doctor recruitment campaign. We are not simply saying what is wrong. We are showing what is possible. We are telling the story of a community that is ready, organised, welcoming and determined to attract the right GP to one of the most amazing parts of Australia.”
The Lakes Entrance Needs a GP campaign is being undertaken in collaboration with Cunninghame Arm Medical Centre and LEADA, following funding received by the practice through the Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine Rural and Remote Community Support Grant. The purpose of the grant is to support the practice to work with local community leaders on the recruitment of more senior doctors.
Cunninghame Arm Medical Centre has a strong reputation as a teaching practice and is currently supporting doctors-in-training, GP registrars and rural generalist registrars. However, the practice is now at a critical stage where more experienced senior doctors are needed to assist with supervision, support the next generation of doctors and help meet the healthcare needs of the Lakes Entrance community. The Longest Waiting Room was designed to show that the community is not waiting quietly.
The next phase of the campaign will be focused even more strongly on opportunity, lifestyle and welcome. Over the coming weeks and months, the campaign team expects to continue promoting Lakes Entrance directly to doctors who may be looking for a better lifestyle, while also building the local business and community welcome pack.
Already, local businesses have begun making pledges to welcome a new doctor and their family, including restaurant vouchers, coffee cards, surfing lessons, lake cruises and other local experiences. A major pledge has also been made by Sarah from Venture Out, who has offered the use of a new e-bike for 12 months to help a new GP explore the tracks, trails and natural beauty of East Gippsland. Organisers say many more businesses are ready to contribute and will be personally approached as the campaign continues.
“The welcome pack is such an important part of this campaign because it shows the heart of this town,” Ms Cameron said.
“We are not just asking a doctor to move here. We are showing them that if they choose Lakes Entrance, this community will welcome them, support them and value them.”
The campaign team also plans to make use of the video footage, photography and personal stories captured during The Longest Waiting Room, including messages from participants about why local access to healthcare matters. Future activities may include further media outreach, direct promotion to doctors, social media campaigns, local signage, another positive community event, and opportunities to showcase the Lakes Entrance lifestyle to potential recruits.
Organisers are also hoping to continue expanding media interest into major newspapers and metropolitan radio, including programs that reach medical professionals and families considering regional life.
The campaign team says it is realistic about the challenge ahead, noting that recruiting a senior GP is not something that happens overnight. While the campaign has already generated some interest, organisers expect it may take time to find the right doctor.
“We know this may not bring an immediate result,” Doctor David Campbell from Cunninghame Arm Medical Centre said.
“But we are patient, we are positive, and we are ready to keep going. We will continue this campaign until we achieve the result our community needs.”
The event also highlighted the strength of community collaboration in Lakes Entrance, with support from local residents, Cunninghame Arm Medical Centre, LEADA, the Lakes Entrance Lions Club, local businesses, civic leaders, volunteers and participants from across the wider East Gippsland region. Organisers say The Longest Waiting Room showed what can happen when a community works together with purpose.
“This event brought people together not as separate groups, but as one community with one message,” Dr Campbell said.
“Lakes Entrance needs a GP, and we are ready to welcome the right doctor with open arms.”
