A MEDICAL imaging company that has operated in Gawler for nearly 50 years has revealed it too was knocked back from receiving a fully Medicare-rebatable magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) licence from the Federal Government earlier this year.

Benson Radiology managing partner Dr Dale Allison, in a letter to The Bunyip, said the company submitted an application for Gawler to receive an MRI licence as part of the federal process – which, In February, awarded Medicare eligibility to 50 MRI units across the country, worth $375 million – however was unsuccessful.

It comes after Dr Jones & Partners, which replaced Benson Radiology at Gawler Hospital after winning a new five-year contract from SA Health earlier this year, was also overlooked for a licence.

“Our application was comprehensive, persuasive and clearly articulated the need for, and benefits of, an MRI licence in Gawler, but disappointingly was unsuccessful,” Dr Allison wrote.

“The question as to why our submission for Gawler was unsuccessful remains as disappointing to us as it would’ve been to the local community.

“We made a very strong case…we felt Gawler was an ideal location.

“There is only one fully- licenced MRI service north of Adelaide, which happens to be located in a very busy public hospital.

“In addition to the township itself, when you consider the population of the outer northern suburbs, the Barossa Valley and other regional areas like Wakefield, Goyder and Clare, our submission conservatively estimated the catchment to be well in excess of 100,000 people.”

Despite the Federal Government knockback, and in a big positive for local residents, Dr Allison stated Benson Radiology is currently in the process of bringing an MRI scanner to Gawler, to be operated out of its Adelaide Road practice.

While the unit would not be fully Medicare-rebatable, Dr Allison stated it would be a vital inclusion to health services in Gawler, and eliminate the need to travel to the Lyell McEwin Hospital, or further into the city, for MRI scans.

“Our practice had previously decided to fund and install an MRI scanner in Gawler, even though we had no assurances a licence would be issued,” he stated.

“Now that a licence has not been granted, we will make good on our original plans.

“For patients however, not having a Federal licence means that no Medicare rebate is available.

“In turn, this means an out of pocket expense is necessary, which, depending on the scan, would be on average around $260.

“We find that at other non-rebatable MRI locations, having genuine conversations with patients about pricing and rebates allows them to weigh up the costs and benefits in quite an informed  manner.

“We also vow to maintain our efforts to lobby for a Federal licence for our scanner.”