THE doors of Willowbank Medical Practice have closed – and with them, for many residents in the area, the last reliable link to timely, local medical care.
The closure has been linked to the Federal Government’s reclassification of the suburb under the Modified Monash Model (MMM), a system used to determine eligibility for rural health incentives.
Until 2023, Willowbank was classified as MM2, giving local practices access to Commonwealth programs designed to attract and retain doctors in regional areas.
But it has since been reclassified as MM1 – a category typically reserved for inner-city areas like Brisbane – stripping those supports away.
Pharmacist Jenny Tran, who runs the neighbouring Willowbank Pharmacy, said the decision was made without proper consultation or understanding of local conditions.
“Classifying a suburb like Willowbank as ‘metropolitan’ while it clearly lacks adequate access to basic health services raises serious questions about the sustainability and fairness of such a designation,” she said.
The reclassification contributed to the departure of Dr Wakista and Dr Silva, who relocated to Weipa.
Efforts to replace them have failed.
“Since the MMM reclassification, we’ve had no success recruiting a replacement doctor – even with ongoing advertising,” Ms Tran said.
She said the shift to MM1 meant the loss of rural bulk billing incentives, rural retention payments, and eligibility for the General Practice Rural Incentives Program (GPRIP).
“GP registrars are now less likely to choose Willowbank for training,” she said.
“Rural training pathways often prioritise MM2 to MM7 areas – under MM1, we’re left out.”
Ms Tran said the situation has been made worse by the former clinic owner’s refusal to release patient records to any incoming doctor.
“We urgently need support from the community, the Health Minister, or relevant officials to secure access to this data,” she said.
“If we can’t get the records, the new doctor will have to start from scratch – and we’re running out of time.”
Without GP access, many patients are missing timely medication refills or reviews for chronic conditions like diabetes, hypertension, or asthma.
The pharmacy, she said, has been overwhelmed with walk-ins, clinical questions, and patients trying to transfer prescriptions or navigate unfamiliar telehealth services.
Ms Tran said the Federal classification ignores the reality of life in Willowbank – a community with no hospital, limited public transport, and now, no GP.
Talks are underway for a Yamanto-based doctor to take over the practice but leasing terms with landlord Cooper Property Group remain unresolved.
Ms Tran’s message to government was blunt: “We’re asking you to rethink the Modified Monash Model, because it doesn’t tell the full story of what it’s like to live and work in rural and remote Australia.
The Moreton Border News first reported on the impact of the MMM shake-up two years ago, when Walloon Medical Centre – run by Dr Magdy El Ashrey – was left with just one doctor for over 15,000 patients.
Federal Blair MP Shayne Neumann said he was not aware of all the circumstances surrounding the Willowbank closure.
“However, it appears to be a commercial decision made by the landlord and the owners of the practice, and not a result of Federal Government funding arrangements,” he said.
Mr Neumann said he had consistently fought to improve health access in peri-urban areas like Willowbank.
“I previously advocated for a GP at Willowbank Medical Centre to be able to sit for RACGP exams while working at the practice, so they could continue serving the community,” he said.
