Armidale think tank New England Visions 2030 Institute will send a list of demands to minister for regional health Ryan Park

Armidale-based think tank New England Visions 2030 Institute convener Maria Hitchcock gave the new ministry until the week of April 7 to get things in order.

"But from this week onwards, we'll be starting to do that correspondence," she said.

Former health minister Brad Hazzard and regional health minister Bronnie Taylor lost their portfolios following the results of the March 25 election.

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Instead of appointing a different minister for each branch, Labor minister for Keira, Ryan Park, has subsumed both health and regional health.

"As minister for health and regional health, my top priority is ensuring everyone in NSW can access safe and high quality healthcare, no matter where they live," he said.

He plans to work closely with NSW Health's Regional Health Division to attract and retain workforce, provide access to services and the primary health sector, and engage with communities.

Ms Hitchcock is "pleased" the former regional health minister is no more, and said the restructure is a whole new ballgame.

"The honourable Ryan Park needs to know what our problems are, and needs to know what our wishes are," she said.

"Obviously, the health situation up here has not improved.

"In fact, it's getting worse, because we're losing GPs all the time."

The think tank will submit to Mr Park that a petition of more than 15,000 signatures supports the splitting of the Hunter New England local health district.

Northern Tablelands MP Adam Marshall tabled the petition in state parliament last year, but Ms Taylor was against the idea.

The region was expected to become a trial area for the single employer GP model, which sees junior doctors directly employed at local public hospitals, while still able to practice as a private GP.

But a delay saw federal health minister Mark Butler receive the former regional health minister's expression of interest for the model last month.

Despite the ambivalence, Ms Hitchcock said assurance that the trial will go ahead in the region is imperative.

Other requests include the setting up of an after-hours clinic in Armidale, and an audit of the staffing levels in hospitals and a plan to improve them.

"It's early days, I think we're confident that he will look into our situation," Ms Hitchcock said.

NSW Health and Mr Park did not answer questions about the future of the Regional Health Ministerial Advisory Panel, set up under the coalition to boost communication between the minister and healthcare representatives in regional areas.

A spokesperson for NSW Health said the Regional Health Division is coordinating the response to the inquiry into rural, regional and remote health.

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