Elective surgeries on Queen's holiday will go ahead in Hunter New England Local Health District

Appointments falling on the Queen's National Day of Mourning are encouraged by the health minister, in recognition of the severe impact of COVID-19 disruptions on elective surgery the past two years.

Hospitals in the region are notifying people with appointments it is pushing ahead, executive director of rural and regional health service Susan Heyman confirmed.

"That's what all my facilities are working towards at the moment," she told the Leader.

"They're working through how we can continue to do that for our patients."

READ MORE:

The snap holiday has proved a challenge for healthcare providers.

Tamworth's Tamara Private Hospital is proceeding with some elective surgery, and rescheduling services such as day programs and day infusion services, a Ramsay Healthcare spokesperson said.

The new holiday may impact some employees' work availability due to childcare and education provider closures, and they are working quickly to update rosters accordingly, the spokesperson said.

The local health district is navigating the obstacles presented by the holiday.

"It's always a little bit tricky when you've got a nationally declared holiday at short notice," Ms Heyman said.

"But the most important thing is that we continue to provide that care where we can."

A national memorial service at Parliament House in Canberra will be broadcast live at 11am next Thursday.

Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can continue to access our trusted content: