In June, the ANU informed students via email that the National Health Co-Op, who administered the University’s on campus health clinic, had gone into administration, but would continue to operate ‘business as usual’. However, on 5th October, the ANU announced it will take over operations of the Kambri GP Clinic from 23rd October and is working towards a “smooth transition” for the “uninterrupted provision of health care”.
According to Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Student and University Experience) Professor Ian Anderson, the ANU has been working with National Health Co-Op Administrators to “put new arrangements in place”, and that the University is dedicated to offering access to high-quality on campus health care.
An ANU spokesperson told Woroni that it has appointed Dr Belinda Doherty as the Kambri GP Clinic’s Head of Clinical Services, as part of the University’s pledge to “high quality healthcare services” into 2022.
When asked by Woroni if the ANU taking over the Kambri GP Clinic would see a change in bulk-billing and a change to the number and/or types of services available, an ANU spokesperson advised that bulk-billing will still be accessible to ANU students, and that “the clinic will continue to offer the same wide range of health services that it currently does”.
Although the University’s Student Counselling Service had not been impacted by the National Health Co-Op’s occurrences and continues to provide appointments as per normal, in its announcement, the ANU advised that it is working towards incorporating health care with other health and wellbeing services at the ANU. Additionally, an ANU spokesperson told Woroni that the University’s’ take over of the Kambri GP Clinic “presents an opportunity for our health and counselling services to be integrated in a more holistic way”.
Additionally, the ANU has confirmed that the Kambri GP Clinic is using the same protected patient record system as other GP clinics. Professor Anderson said, “Data is being safely transferred from the National Health Co-Op and will be stored outside of the University’s system”.
Following the ANU’s take over, the clinic will continue to take patient bookings via HotDoc and continue to play a role in the COVID-19 vaccination program.
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