‘Just wanted to give something back’: GP returns to serve Montville’s needs

Dr Peter Herbert.

by Janine Hill

A DOCTOR is in the house at Montville again, much to the appreciation of its residents.

The Montville Health Centre has opened in the main street premises vacated by Ochre Health earlier this year, which also led to the chemist moving out.

General practitioner Doctor Peter Herbert saw the need for a doctor in the township and recognised an opportunity to gain a work-lifestyle balance.

Dr Herbert has owned a house in the area for more than 20 years and is now enjoying the opportunity to walk to work.

He said work was still being completed to set-up the clinic, mostly on the online and technical fronts, but he had begun seeing patients.

“It’s a task to get the connectivity to set-up e-scripts and Medicare and other IT stuff but we’ve got to get through it,” he said.

“It takes about a month to make it all work and get telephone and internet. The internet on the Blackall Range is terrible so we’re getting a Starlink dish.”

For now, the clinic can be reached on 3268 1395, which was the phone number for Dr Herbert’s former clinic in Brisbane.

 Dr Herbert holds a Bachelor of Medicine/Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) from the University of Otago in New Zealand.

He has undertaken advanced training in aviation medicine, diving medicine, travel and tropical medicine, and has qualifications in obstetrics, gynaecology, occupational and environmental medicine.

He was a doctor for many years at Buderim, where he and his wife, Shanti, established the Suncoast Christian Health Centre, the Sunshine Coast’s first 24-hour clinic.

 “I sold off the Buderim one and went to Brisbane and got rid of that when I heard that Montville had run out of doctors,” he said.

“I just wanted to give something back and do something for the community.”

Dr Herbert said small towns were being disadvantaged by a federal system which provided greater financial incentives for general practitioners elsewhere, and the effect was compounded during a GP shortage.

 “A place like Montville, it needs to keep its services and they need the chemist back as well. We’re working on that, trying to get it to happen.”