A PETITION to split Hunter New England Health "neatly in two" has been tabled in State Parliament after securing more than 10,000 signatures.
Northern Tablelands MP Adam Marshall previously told parliament that the New England community was "sick to the back teeth" of the "neglect" of the local health district's Newcastle-based senior management.
"We want effective local services. We want more doctors. We want nurses, and we want them now," he said in August.
Now, the MP has tabled a rural health services petition after collecting more than 10,000 signatures for the electorate-wide community petition. He has previously said the petition calls for the New England local health district to be reinstated to allow the region to "ditch the failed visiting medical officer model".
"The groundswell of dissent clearly demonstrates to the government that this is a burning issue for many in our region and that we won't rest until we are heard and changes made," he said.
"The momentum is building and I am confident that with good old fashioned 'people-power' we can save our rural health system and support and bolster our had-working local health staff."
The health district - which stretches from Newcastle to Tenterfield - is about the same size as England and currently services more than 960,000 residents.
A spokesperson for Hunter New England Health said the amalgamation of Hunter New England LHD in 2005 led to a reinvestment into improving frontline clinical care in rural and regional areas.
He warned there would be "significant costs" to replicate services and management positions that were merged in the amalgamation.
"Every hospital within the district is part of an integrated and collaborative network and are supported by the major tertiary referral hospitals in Newcastle that ensures our communities have access to specialist services," he said.
"Senior doctors and specialists provide clinical support to rural and regional facilities across the district.
"Many staff regularly visit rural centres to provide outreach clinics, giving patients local access to specialist care which they would previously have had to travel long distances to obtain."
Staff "regularly" take secondments to rural and regional areas to help fill short-term vacancies.
"Since 2018, the district has invested more than $90 million in health services, staffing and facilities in the New England region above operating budget, to improve access to health care in these areas."
The petition debate should occur in State Parliament next month.
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