Council claims new Gunnedah hospital plans are not what was promised

The NSW Minister for Health Ryan Park has refuted claims the government will not deliver on the new Gunnedah hospital project.

He said the NSW Government remained committed to the redevelopment of Gunnedah hospital, and there has been no cut in funding allocated towards the project.

Mr Park was responding to criticisms from Gunnedah Shire Council mayor Jamie Chaffey, who said revised plans for the town's new hospital were not what the council had been expecting from NSW Health.

Tamworth MP Kevin Anderson has also called on the NSW Government to fully fund the Gunnedah hospital, and back critical projects that will improve regional communities.

"The fact Gunnedah Hospital has been rescoped is deeply disappointing," he said.

Minister Park said the NSW Government was committed to making sure people living in regional NSW had equitable access to expert medical care and health services.

A spokesperson for Health Infrastructure said there had been no change to the $53 million funding commitment to the Gunnedah hospital redevelopment to deliver enhanced healthcare services and facilities for the community.

"The global escalation of building costs faced by the construction industry has resulted in an updated design that will prioritise areas of clinical need while ensuring the ability for future expansion," the spokesperson said.

"The redevelopment will still deliver a new acute services building, which will house a new emergency department and a new birthing, maternity and inpatient unit."

The spokesperson said all other existing health services would continue to operate onsite within the existing infrastructure, including medical imaging, dental, community health, outpatient services, operating theatre, day surgery, administration areas and back-of-house services.

The community would also continue to have access to renal services at Tamworth Hospital, as part of the existing service arrangements with the Hunter New-England hospital network.

The spokesperson said consultation with staff, patients and the community on the design for the project would continue during July and August and this feedback would assist to finalise the design.

Earlier:

A local mayor has hit out at new multi-million dollar hospital plans, arguing they are not what was promised.

Gunnedah Shire Council mayor Jamie Chaffey says revised plans for the town's new hospital are not what they were expecting from NSW Health.

Councillors were briefed this week by NSW Health about the latest plans for the long-promised hospital redevelopment.

Having expressed his "shock and disappointment" at the revised scope and design for the new hospital, Cr Chaffey has written to the NSW health minister Ryan Park, urging him to intervene.

"We were absolutely appalled by the backpedalling on what has been promised to the Gunnedah community," Cr Chaffey said.

"After all of the much-touted community consultation, all of the promises - including one from the ultimately successful Labor Government - we are left with a design that delivers nowhere near the services and facilities we desperately need."

Gunnedah council conducted its own community survey in March 2021 which resulted in page after page of people expressing confusion, frustration, anger and in some cases disgust with the poor level of services available in the shire, Cr Chaffey said.

"We had been assured a new hospital would go some way towards alleviating these life and death concerns," Cr Chaffey said.

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He said council had been advised the new scope would include a new acute service building with an emergency department, a new maternity, birthing and inpatient unit, and a refurbished entry.

"Where is our promised infusion unit that will provide renal dialysis and oncology services? Where is the new theatre and day surgery?" Cr Chaffey said.

"Where are the new medical imaging, new back of house, new plant room, new community health facilities, dental services, new front of house and the landscape we have all seen artwork of?

"There has also been no mention of the absolute commitment to 48 beds - how many beds will our new hospital provide?

"We are deeply shocked at what we have learnt, and horrified on our community's behalf to be told the original master plan would only be delivered if new funding appeared or 'someone won the lottery'."

The Leader has contacted Hunter New England health for a response.

But, Cr Chaffey said this "is not a laughing matter".

"It is the health of our community," he said.

"It appears the Inquiry into Health Outcomes and Access to Health and Hospital Services in Rural, Regional and Remote NSW has absolutely fallen on deaf ears."

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