Yackandandah's 5 doctors to pull the pin over health service impasse

The angry medics held a meeting on Thursday night and yesterday decided to down stethoscopes if control of community-run Yackandandah Health is handed to private operator Apollo.

On Wednesday, June 21, Yackandandah Health members will cast a vote on whether to accept the deal which the five doctors say was "cooked up without any consultation".

Simon Davis, speaking on behalf of the health service's other doctors - Tess Goodwin, David Oliver, Jane Gardner and Emma Polkinghorne - said it "was time to take a stand".

"The problem is there has been no consultation between the doctors and Apollo, no one's told us anything, we're just expected to come along and just carry on as it was," he said.

"I know some people are going to say we're letting the community down, but we're not, we have thought long and hard about this.

"They (Yackandandah Health) want to try and tie us down but we don't even know what we're signing up for. Apollo have got to make a profit, and obviously they're going to be harder about things than the previous setup, but we just don't know what's going to happen and that's not good enough."

Dr Davis said he understood it was drastic action for every doctor in town to resign.

"It doesn't normally happen, but solidarity in these situations is the key, and we don't have too many weapons in our pockets when we're kept in the dark until the last minute."

Dr Davis said he and the other doctors were hoping the federal government would come in with funding to assist the financially troubled service and that an alternative community model would be considered.

Yackandandah Health chair Doug Westland had previously rejected any push for an alternative model saying it was "not realistic" and "not in the interests of the community".

"It's very, very complicated ... a difficult situation for everybody," Mr Westland said. "We're working to a plan at the moment that we're committed to.

"I have made a number of comments in relation to this ... I have nothing at the moment that I can add."

Last week Mr Westland said the Yackandanadah Health board would be recommending members vote in favour of the agreement believing it to be "the best option to ensure the continued viability of Yackandandah Health's services in the township".

"Our community needs to embrace this change," Mr Westland said.

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