Confusion. Frustration. Anger. Frightened.
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This is how Parkes Shire Council says the community described how they felt about the current service delivery arrangements at Parkes Hospital.
Because of the escalating community concern, council facilitated a public meeting on December 10 to provide an opportunity for the community to raise issues, discuss a future strategy to attract and maintain medical professionals, and reinstate the services at the Parkes Hospital.
But afterwards Parkes Shire Mayor Ken Keith OAM has said "we still don't have any answers" and that the council will be pursuing those answers.
More than 100 community members and health professionals attended the meeting at the Parkes Services Club.
Parkes Shire Deputy Mayor Barbara Newton presented the keynote address at the beginning of the forum, summarising the submissions council received from the community prior to the public meeting.
"Health care is not a local government issue - it is a state and federal government issue," she said.
"The community expectation has never been for additional services, but rather for the level of service that was set out with the new hospital and what people should expect for a growing, prosperous regional community.
"Tonight is about asking the appropriate people for honest, to-the-point answers."
Representatives from Lachlan Area Health, NSW Rural Doctors Network, NSW Ambulance, as well as Parkes Shire Council formed a panel to answer several questions from the audience, help clarify points of confusion, and inform the community of the next steps.
Western NSW Local Health District CEO, Scott McLachlan reiterated from previous discussions that while they are yet to find a solution, they are confident that alternate models of service delivery will be found for Parkes Hospital.
In a statement released by council this week, it said midwife-led birthing, incentive employment models, as well as a pilot recruitment program have all been proposed.
"I give my full commitment to take forward every proposal we can to the government," Mr McLachlan said at the meeting.
Cr Keith said, "while the public meeting was a great opportunity for our community to speak directly with the relevant decision-makers in our health system, we still don't have any answers".
"We will now pursue further action to seek out the answers. Council will not let this state government issue simply be dismissed," he said.
Member for Orange Philip Donato attended the meeting and challenged the panel on issues the community had raised with him. He said he would continue to strongly advocate for the community on this critical issue.
In closing out the meeting, the mayor thanked those in attendance for their honesty and respect during the panel discussion, as well as welcomed more clear and open communication between the Local Health District and the community.
"The next step for council is to collate the issues and ideas discussed during the meeting, as well as submissions received prior, and present them to the NSW Minister for Health Brad Hazzard," Cr Keith said.
A summary of the meeting and the online engagement report will be made available on council's website, www.parkes.nsw.gov.au.
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