Pressure continues to mount on Hunter New England Health to address community concerns about the future of pathology services at Narrabri Hospital.

An update on the provision of services was provided by state Member for Barwon Roy Butler on Tuesday morning.

The details were later confirmed in a statement by Hunter New England Health.

In Mr Butler’s statement, he advised that the contract for SydPath will be extended until September 30 while proper consultation is undertaken.

The issue of the provision of health services, as well as the possibility of any reduction in services, has been met with uproar by the Narrabri community.

A crowd of almost 500 people packed the Narrabri RSL earlier this month to demand that Hunter New England Health not only maintain pathology services but also upgrade the overall level of services provided at Narrabri Hospital and health facilities in Wee Waa and Boggabri.

Mayor Darrell Tiemens described the lack of direct communication from Hunter New England Health as disappointing.

“A pause on the transition to undertake consultation is not new news to us,” Cr Tiemens said on Tuesday.

“The time for consultation should have been before contracts were signed.

“Despite the clear and unanimous concern from the community, we have heard nothing from the health authorities.”

The community has quickly rallied to support the current provision of services, with an online and hard copy petition attracting thousands of signatures.

Cr Tiemens has doubled down on calls for an independent inquiry into Hunter New England Health’s support of remote and rural hospitals.

“Their lack of transparency and communication has caused significant unrest and angst amongst the community, but it has also cost Hunter New England Health. They have lost the trust of the community, and we cannot put faith in any process other than an independent inquiry,” said Cr Tiemens.

“Our community needs certainty, and understandably they’re growing increasingly frustrated with the lack of response and transparency. Council stands in solidarity with our residents, and I urge the NSW Health Minister to initiate an independent review of Hunter New England Health”.

Similar concerns about the lack of communication were voiced by frustrated locals who took to the floor at the Narrabri community meeting.

As reported by The Courier last week, calls for a independent review have been backed by the mayors of Gunnedah and Moree Plains shires.

In an update on Tuesday, Member for Barwon Roy Butler said the last few weeks have been a worrying time for medical staff at Narrabri and for the Narrabri community, because of concerns over proposed changes to the town’s pathology services.

“After the community, medical professionals and civic leaders raised their concerns with me, I made contact with the Minister for Health and have met him a number of times,” Mr Butler said.

“Following these discussions, I have been informed that the contract for St Vincent’s Hospital Sydney Limited (SydPath) has been extended for three months from July 1 to September 30, which will keep the existing services in place while proper consultation is undertaken.

“This is to make service adjustments if necessary to provide a smooth transition to NSW Health
Pathology (NSWHP).

“Concerns raised by medical staff about the tests not covered by point-of-care-testing services have been heard by NSWHP who are taking that input and shaping a service model that will be modern, safe and fit for Narrabri’s needs.

“I want to thank the staff at Narrabri Hospital for their consultation and, with their feedback, we can now work toward a positive result for the pathology services in Narrabri, one that ensures equal access to quality care in both Narrabri and Moree.”

Contract extension will enable smooth transition: Hunter New England Health

Hunter New England Local Health District issued the following statement in relation to pathology services at Narrabri Hospital:

“Hunter New England Local Health District is committed to ensuring the Narrabri community continues to have access to safe and high-quality pathology services.

“After many years of providing laboratory and pathology services at Narrabri Hospital, our district will transition from St Vincent’s Hospital Sydney Limited (SydPath) to NSW Health Pathology.

“To enable a smooth transition while maintaining safe, sustainable and patient-centred services, we’re extending the contract by three months, from July 1 to September 30, 2024.

“Transitioning to NSW Health Pathology allows us to benefit from their extensive statewide network of clinical expertise and advanced diagnostic technologies, enhancing our capacity to deliver high-quality and sustainable health care to both the Narrabri and Moree communities.

“Feedback and community consultation is important to this process and following consideration further updates will be provided to the community in due course.”

Urgent intervention needed on pathology services: Opposition

The NSW opposition has called on the state government to urgently intervene and ensure there are no reductions to the pathology services at Narrabri Hospital.

SydPath, the current provider, will have its contract extended until the end of September to allow for further consultation to occur about NSW Health Pathology taking over hospital pathology services.

In a statement on Tuesday, Shadow Minister for Regional Health Bronnie Taylor and Shadow Minister for Western NSW Sarah Mitchell called on Health Minister Ryan Park and Member for Barwon Roy Butler to “listen to the community that has been fighting for services to remain”.

Mrs Taylor said the cuts won’t only cripple essential hospital functions but will also impact the workforce.

“Rural doctors, nurses and hospital staff need to be supported and further cuts will only add to their workload,” Mrs Taylor said.

“It’s unreasonable to expect them to operate without the necessary resources, and decisions like this will impact the ability to attract and retain highly-skilled professionals in the bush.”

Ms Mitchell said it is unacceptable for the people of the Narrabri Shire to be treated as second class citizens.

“I applaud the community for taking a stand and fighting against this move, because the Narrabri Shire deserves the same access to top-quality healthcare as anywhere else in the state,” Ms Mitchell said.

“This proposal must be reconsidered to protect the health and safety of local residents and the Minns Labor government and local Member need to provide certainty.”

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