New testing and speech services closer to home for Gympie patients

Gympie Hospital has introduced two pivotal health services to its offerings, significantly enhancing the accessibility of care for local patients. The new services include a testing procedure for bladder cancer recurrences and outpatient speech therapy for individuals with voice conditions, which were previously available only at the Sunshine Coast University Hospital. Now, by bringing these services directly to the Gympie community on specific days, patients can receive essential care closer to home.

Erin McIntosh, a Urology Nurse Practitioner, highlighted the importance of regular cystoscopies for bladder cancer patients, a procedure that will now be available weekly at Gympie Hospital. This development aims to alleviate the burden on patients, particularly the elderly, who previously had to travel long distances for this critical 15-minute test. The outreach program is spearheaded by McIntosh and Dr. Mat Ranaweera, a General Practitioner with a Special Interest in urology, marking a significant expansion of urological care to the Gympie region.

Additionally, the hospital has launched a voice therapy clinic to address various voice disorders. Speech Pathologist Sofia Back emphasized the clinic's role in helping patients regain voice function and achieve their communication goals. The service is designed to improve patient outcomes by making specialist appointments more accessible.

These initiatives represent a major step forward in providing patient-centered care within the Gympie community, reducing the need for travel and ensuring timely access to essential health services. Patients like stroke survivor Allan Trotter have already begun to experience the benefits of these localised services in their recovery journey.