April 18, 2022

Locum Location - Albany, WA

Here are some insights and information from one of our locum doctors in Albany: Helen. All you want to know about what it looks like to be a locum doctor in Great Southern Western Australia.

ABOUT THE ED TEAM IN ALBANY

You work at Albany Hospital – aka Albany Health Campus. As a locum doctor in Albany, I found the team chaotic but pleasant! During the day and evening, there is always a FACEM on and most when they have a breather are very approachable.

WHAT IS THE SETUP LIKE FOR LOCUM DOCTOR IN ALBANY?

It is a mid-size district hospital with well-staffed ED (Emergency Department).
Pathology and Radiology are available 24/7 (call-in from home out of hours), along with General Surgery, General Medicine and Mental Health with a small HDU (High Dependency Unit).
Retrieval is done via RFDS (Royal Flying Doctor Service) from Perth, there is no base in Albany and the ambulance service is mostly run by volunteer first-aiders.

WHAT DOES ACCOMMODATION LOOK LIKE FOR LOCUM DOCTOR IN ALBANY?

The hospital house I stayed in was lovely, quiet and clean. I recommend you take some warm clothes and an umbrella.

WHAT DOES THE LOGISTICS AND FLIGHT TIMES FROM MAJOR AIRPORTS?

First to note the weight allowance on Rex flights for baggage is only 15kg and can be strict.
However Albany is just a one hour flight from Perth, normally early in the morning, so you often will stay over in Perth. There is also a regular late flight (end of the afternoon), perfect if you do night shifts.
It is four hours from Perth by road and the hospital is about 15 minutes from the airport.

TIPS FOR ALBANY AMENITIES?

The main street has some interesting shops and cafes, I definitely recommend the Lavender Tearooms (particularly if the Locum doctor is of British origin), Gourmandise and Bred. There is also a nice bottle shop on the harbour that sells awesome wine from the nearby wineries.

ANY LOCALS’ INSIDE INFO? WHAT DO YOU DO DURING YOUR TIME OFF, AS A LOCUM DOCTOR IN ALBANY?

The swimming is best at the south end of Middleton and yes, there is a shark net and patrols. There are some great walks up on the hill just south of there, with walk maps available from the tourist information centre. All this coast of Great Southern WA is just unbelievable! White sand beach and azure blue ocean all along. Really close, you can visit Denmark, a beautiful little city with good protect beaches and surf spots.