New doctor Owen Boyd sets up two-day practice in Spring Ridge

Just a few hours into Dr Owen Boyd's first day at the new Spring Ridge practice, he was completely booked out.

Before catching up with the Leader on Thursday July 20, Dr Boyd had just finished his round of appointments for the morning.

"The community has been very happy and very thankful to have the practice here. They are telling me how convenient it will be, relative to the current situation they have," he said.

Dr Boyd has been welcomed into the community with open arms.

The town has been without a GP for more than three decades and their very first pharmacy only opened earlier this year.

With the help of the Hunter New England and Central Coast primary health networks (PHN) Dr Boyd has been able to establish his first physical practice.

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He says he is passionate about improving access to healthcare in rural and regional communities.

"I've been running Boyd telehealth business since earlier this year, serving the broader Hunter, New England region, which goes up to Tenterfield out to Moree, down to Coonabarabran and out to Nelsons Bay. I have lots of patients within those towns and everywhere in between," he said.

Normally based out of Newcastle, Dr Boyd will be travelling for two scheduled days, allowing for him to have face-to-face consultations with his patients, while also being available remotely if he is not in town.

He will operate his service alongside established Spring Ridge Pharmacy owner, Chloe Kay, where the practice is co-located.

Dr Boyd said his working relationship with Ms Kay has already proven quite fruitful in a short period of time.

"Chloe has done a lot in the six months she has been here. So, when the opportunity came up we pulled together with the assistance of the PHN and done a lot in a short time," he said.

Ms Kay said she was proud to see everything come together so quickly and efficiently.

"At first no one really believed it. Since seeing the room built and the announcement made the community has been quite supportive and it's been taken very well," she said.

"Getting a GP out to the area was something I never considered possible and then when PHN told me about Owen it became an idea ... in just a few hours he has been here, it's just been an amazing thing."

Ms Kay said an ongoing shortage of GP's had left many communities in the bush without proper access to medical attention, with many people forced to choose whether to travel to a larger regional centre, or put off medical appointments.

"When people heard we were getting a doctor many of them expressed they were overdue for their check-up. It is because they either cannot travel or get an appointment. It should also reduce the pressure on the hospital as many people end up getting treatment at the hospital if they cannot get a GP appointment," Ms Kay said.

Both Ms Kay and Dr Boyd hope to see this program continue long into the future.

"Just to be able to get a family GP and know that they can see the same person every appointment ... so it's bringing back the family doctor and the convenience of it," Ms Kay said.

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