He may not call Eyre Peninsula home these days, but Dr Scott Lewis remains entrenched in the region and will forever be grateful for his time spent in Wudinna.
As a fresh-eyed medical student with big aspirations and a desire to help people, Dr Scott Lewis packed his bags and headed to Wudinna.
He stayed in the town for three years – from 1998 to 2001, under the tutelage of Dr Wolf du Plessis – before later returning, this time a university graduate and a qualified doctor.
Dr Lewis’ second stint in the upper Eyre Peninsula town started in 2008 and in some ways, it has never ended.
For more than a decade the 45-year-old provided care as the town’s sole resident general practitioner.
Other than fleeting visits from locum doctors and registrars, Dr Lewis had the health needs of the Wudinna district in his hands.
That was until 2021, when issues with the Eyre and Far North Local Health Network came to a head and he said farewell.
“A number of issues I had relating to the hospital and the level of professional support were unresolved,” he said.
“When you have been on your own for such a long time you hope to get support and understanding, but it didn’t happen.”
He may have moved on, but it was not goodbye.
Dr Lewis retained ownership of the Wudinna Medical Practice and from his new base at Littlehampton in the Adelaide Hills, maintained an interest in the health needs of the Wudinna district.
In 2023 it was announced the practice would reopen with a new permanent GP in tow, Dr Ernest Wong, alongside visits from Dr Lewis.
“I retained ownership of the practice and had been working with the [Wudinna District] Council since before my departure on a strategy to recruit another GP,” he said.
“The council and I were working and it basically was how long it took to recruit Dr Wong from the UK.”
Born in Ceduna, Dr Lewis lived in multiple country towns across South Australia until the age of 10, when the family moved to Adelaide.
But it left him with an affinity for the regions.
Having enjoyed his student stint in Wudinna, when it came time to make a career as a doctor, the town was on the list as a possible home.
“Tim Scholz, who was the mayor at the time, tracked me down; they were looking for a doctor at the time, so the stars aligned.”
Given his role and responsibilities, it was all hands on deck for Dr Lewis.
“Working in rural medicine, you don’t have the resources and the backup you have in a lot of places – that is both a challenge and opportunity,” he said.
“You have to do a lot more and be prepared to do a lot more – you provide a full service to your patients.
“It’s a bit more old-fashioned, where back in the day the GPs would do everything. In a metro setting it is too easy to send people five minutes down the road for a scan, compared to sending them two hours away out in the regions, so you don’t use your clinical skills as much.”
For more than a decade, Dr Lewis was an integral part of the community and savoured his time in the town.
“From a community point of view, I liked the people, the tight sense of community, the fact everyone looks out for each other and were so friendly,” he noted.
“From a medicine point of view, it is good to have what they call ‘cradle to grave’ – you are looking after all aspects of people’s lives.
“You see lots of different things and by virtue of where you are, you have to.”
Dr Lewis has a lot on his plate these days and aside from Adelaide Hills base, he is also a regular in Whyalla, Bordertown in the South East and Yorketown on Yorke Peninsula.
That is in addition to frequent Wudinna visits.
“I try to get over every three or four weeks,” he said.
“I am definitely not a stranger – whenever I get over I am completely booked with people who want to see me.
“The practice is going well; it is always good to have a resident GP to care for the population.”
Dr Lewis puts in plenty of kilometres to meet the demands of the various practices and communities in which he supports.
Rather than spend hours on the road, another method of travel does the trick.
A qualified pilot, Dr Lewis jets off to different parts of the state every week or two.
“I used the plane, and still use it, for getting around – as I work in different parts of the state, it is the quickest way,” he said.
“While in Wudinna it allowed me to stay connected to Adelaide and I could get to dinner meetings and be back easily.
“It also removed the isolation.”
Dr Lewis learned to fly while in Wudinna, having seen Dr du Plessis buy a plane and use it to visit Whyalla to perform anesthetics.
“He used it in a similar way to what I do.”
Air travel has allowed him to go all over Eyre Peninsula, to Coober Pedy and the Riverland, plus more.
“I have seen all corners of the state.”
Dr Lewis has utilised the plane to assist patients with Angel Flight, but its main use ensures travel is “nowhere near as daunting as it could be”.
When not in the pilot’s seat, you can find Dr Lewis in another cockpit, relishing another passion.
“I enjoy land speed racing and get up to Lake Gairdner for the Dry Lake Racers Australia Speed Week,” he said.
“I race and provide medical services as the chief medical officer in Australia.”
Dr Lewis did not rule out the possibility of returning to Eyre Peninsula permanently, but added he would always be an “advocate” for the region.
“I will always remain connected to Eyre Peninsula in one way or another,” he said.
“It is a lovely area and group of people.
“They certainly aren’t getting the quality of health services that are deserved and I will always be a strong advocate for health services in the region.”
