On 31 March 2022, Summit Health ceased delivery of the EDcare service at Mount Barker District Soldiers’ Memorial Hospital with the hospital taking back responsibility for its ED service.

On behalf of the Board and myself, I’d like to thank all of the doctors, nurses and support staff that participated on the roster over its 15-year history and particularly to those that hung on to the very end. Collectively you all made EDcare (originally GPcare) a great service.

Between 2006 and 2022, EDcare evolved from an after-hours emergency general practice seeing 2,800 patients a year, to a 24/7 emergency service seeing 25,000 patients and with increasing levels of acuity. During that time the service saved the state health system millions of dollars whilst providing a quality service in very challenging circumstances – everyone involved during this time should be very proud of what was achieved and it is particularly gratifying that so many of the doctors and staff involved in the early days were still there at the end.

I’d particularly like to thank Jorin Derks and Dr Peter Stuart as it is they who created the culture and environment that worked so well since it evolved into the 24/7 service in 2019.

Kevin Wisdom-Hill, CEO