February 5, 2021

As Mayor of Gunnedah Shire I am compelled to address the claim by Hunter New England Health (HNEH) of adequate community consultation having been conducted in the development of the Clinical Services Plan (CSP) for the Gunnedah Hospital upgrade.

The Gunnedah Community has not been consulted on the development of the CSP and Council strongly refutes Hunter New England Health’s suggestion that anything even approaching adequate community consultation for this project has been conducted.

We are extremely disappointed this promised consultation has not occurred and the draft CSP is now on the desk of the NSW Minister for Health for approval without valuable community input.

We are therefore calling on the Member for Tamworth Kevin Anderson to step up and work with the Minister for Health to redress this matter and provide transparency by placing the draft CSP on public exhibition. This will provide our community with the opportunity to have their voices heard and compensate for the inadequate consultative process.

The CSP is a critical stage of the hospital redevelopment as it determines what clinical services - including medical, surgical, maternity and obstetrics - will be available at the hospital.

Without the genuine input of our local healthcare providers, community and other stakeholders it is difficult to comprehend how this plan can be truly representative of the current and future needs of our Shire. If the needed consultation with our community is not undertaken, Council will lead a petition to the Parliament on behalf of the Gunnedah community.

The upgrade of the Gunnedah Hospital affects the quality of life of every Gunnedah resident and it is critical these clinical services reflect the needs of our unique regional community.

ENDS

Media contact: Communications team (02) 6740 2100.