ONE of Australia's largest general practice operators has purchased a string of clinics owned by the troubled Tristar Medical Group.
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Family Doctor's purchase includes clinics in Sebastopol and Sturt Street, which have remained open for patients since Tristar entered voluntary administration in late May.
As part of the move, Family Doctor has confirmed all transferring doctors will be paid their full arrears and the company would take on employee entitlements of all transitioning staff.
Under the purchase, Family Doctor will acquire more than 80 per cent of doctors and 60 per cent of employees to keep their jobs.
The sale is due to be finalised on August 19.
Family Doctor is "doctor owned" and operated by general practitioner Rodney Aziz, who has said the company looked forward to providing certainty and continuity to patients and staff.
"We understand the value of Primary Care Services to local communities and will strive to not only continue these services from the acquired Tristar locations, but we will also be working very hard to recruit additional doctors to these locations and expand the number and quality of medical services at the practices," Dr Aziz said.
Family Doctor operates clinics in Victoria, New South Wales, the ACT, Queensland and Western Australia. Victorian sites, before adding 12 former Tristar clinics, were predominantly Melbourne-based.
The McGrathNichol Group took over administration for Tristar Medical Group's parent company Khaled El-Sheikh in May.
This is not the first time the medical group has been in the spotlight for financial difficulties.
Australian Community Media has detailed struggles with recruiting doctors to the Wimmera in August 2019.
In a separate story at the same time, ACM reported a Wangaratta doctor was owed six weeks' pay from the medical group, but shortly after speaking with the media a month's worth of wages were transferred into his bank account.
Tristar, at the time, confirmed all employees "[had] all been paid in full and on time".
Tristar has also since closed its bulk-billing clinic in Lucas' Coltman Plaza but reasons for this are unclear.
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