A NSW government MP says the Inverell Hospital is 'out of action' for 10 days and the health authorities need to 'front up' to the community about it.
The Nationals Member for Northern Tablelands Adam Marshall said the Inverell Hospital in northern NSW would be without a doctor in the emergency department for up to 10 days.
The claim has not been confirmed or denied by Hunter New England Health.
"This brand new, $60 million hospital services a population of nearly 20,000 people.
"To have it essentially out of action for 10 days is not only disgraceful, but it is an indictment on the management of Hunter New England Health."
Mr Marshall said he had heard of three women who had to be taken to Armidale — a 90-minute drive — to give birth at the weekend because there was no doctor, obstetrician, or anaesthetist in Inverell.
"We can no longer simply sweep these things under the rug, they need to front up, answer questions, and articulate to the community what they're doing to fix it."
Meanwhile, the latest data from the Bureau of Health Information has painted a bleak picture of patient satisfaction at the hospital.
On the two measures of how well the staff worked together and whether the patients described the care they received as "very good", Inverell Hospital received the lowest rank in the state.
Community encouraged to present at hospital
The Hunter New England Local Health District has moved to assure the public they can continue to receive appropriate medical care at the Inverell Hospital.
"Due to circumstances out of the district's control, sometimes there are gaps in medical coverage that cannot be filled," a spokesperson said in a statement.
The spokesperson said the district did not proactively inform the public when there were gaps in medical coverage.
The Hunter New England Local Health District has encouraged people to present at Inverell Hospital, which it said is staffed by "highly skilled emergency nurses", with support available from Armidale Hospital via virtual care.
Mr Marshall has recently called for an investigation into whether the Hunter New England health district, which is based in Newcastle, could be split into two.
He has also called for the chief executive to be sacked if health services do not improve.
