AS local doctors and medical staff prepare for another season on the mountain, proposed state budget reforms to the health system have caused consternation amongst healthcare professionals, worried about potential impacts to emergency response on Mt Buller.

Mansfield District Hospital CEO Cameron Butler said 2024 was the fourth year the hospital had operated the centre for the alpine season, with the facility delivering first class urgent and trauma care.

A key part of the Mansfield District Hospital service profile, the centre has built a strong link between the Alpine Resort and local health services, as well as local referral hospitals such as Northeast Health Wangaratta.

“We also have a good relationship with Ambulance Victoria and Mt Buller Ski Patrol,” said Mr Butler.

Specialised ski patrollers attend to injuries on the ski field and provide transport to the medical centre, whilst Ambulance Victoria operates a base on Mt Buller offering 24 hour emergency assistance and acute transfers to hospital.

Over the season alongside non-trauma related medical conditions, the medical centre treats predominantly trauma and ski-related injuries which require stabilisation and transfer to a larger health service.

“The name doesn’t accurately reflect the service being provided,” said Mr Butler of the important role the centre plays on the mountain.

Staffed separately to the Mansfield District Hospital, the clinic provides the opportunity for nurses and administrative staff to cover shifts on Buller, with some of Mansfield’s emergency care specialist doctors also opting to work there.

Dr Will Twycross is one of them.

He has worked on the mountain each year since 1995.

With more than 2000 people accessing the centre over the course of a season, Dr Twycross has raised concerns about the impact proposed hospital amalgamations may have on service delivery on Buller.

“Every year we have admitted large numbers of injured or sick patients to the Mansfield Hospital from Mt Buller,” Dr Twycross said.

“Their transfer requires an ambulance, and a high functioning hospital locally to care for them and stabilise their injuries.

“Many hospitals in our region do not have doctors staffing their urgent care centres.

“If a patient comes with significant trauma from say a ski accident or presents very unwell suffering a heart attack, appendicitis or sepsis as a few examples, the nursing staff call an ambulance.

“The patient then needs to travel, often for more than two hours in an ambulance for care.

“A very realistic fear is that a remote, amalgamated board would cut costs by bringing every urgent care centre down to the lowest common denominator, and not employ doctors in the Mansfield Urgent Care Centre.

“With 6000 presentations per annum, if that happened to the Mansfield District Hospital, the pressure on our already overworked ambulance service would become even more intolerable.

“There would be longer and longer waits and ramping on arrival at the referral hospitals, which would in turn flow on to delays in the ambulance service more generally, and especially at Mt Buller."