An independent review into Bathurst Health Service commissioned in late 2013 found that the local hospital was operating at too small a volume to be financially efficient.

In response, the Western NSW Local Health District put in place a plan to make Bathurst the regional home for elective knee and hip operations, in a bid to attract new specialist staff.

And now those plans are paying off, with the LHD confirming the recruitment process is almost complete to bring two new permanent ortho-paedic surgeons to town.

The surgeons will be based in Bathurst and operate out of Bathurst Base Hospital, providing additional services to the current visiting orthopaedic surgeons from Orange.

The appointments will allow a more comprehensive range of orthopaedic surgery to be performed in Bathurst, supported by a highly skilled anaesthetic, specialist medical and nursing workforce.

BHS director of medical services Dr Geof Marshall said the appointments would give the Bathurst community access to a highly skilled regional orthopaedic service.

“This is great news for the people of Bathurst and surrounding communities,” Dr Marshall said. 

“The two additional surgeons will mean around 100 extra Bathurst residents will be able to have their orthopaedic surgery at Bathurst Hospital instead of travelling to Orange.”

Orthopaedic surgeons carried out 260 elective operations at Bathurst Hospital in the last financial year, which was about 16 per cent of total elective operations. 

Bathurst Medical Staff Council chair Dr Ray Parkin also welcomed the appointments.

“[The staff council] particularly feel that there has been a deficiency in service provision in orthopaedics,” he said.

“These appointments, along with the commitment of the Local Health District for further enhancement in the future, is great news for the Bathurst community.

“The Bathurst community should be able to have their health care delivered as close to their home as possible and Bathurst Hospital has the capacity and skills to be able to deliver this care.

“We look forward to the day soon when emergency, as well as elective, orthopaedic surgery is delivered in Bathurst.”

Bathurst Base Hospital has attracted a number of new specialists over the past 12 months.

The appointments have boosted the hospital’s capacity to perform a range of services, including anaesthetics, general medicine, paediatrics and orthopaedics.

Bathurst MP Paul Toole said he was very pleased about the announcement of enhanced orthopaedic surgery services for Bathurst.

“This is a great outcome from the review and I thank all involved for listening to the community’s concerns and bringing this to fruition,” he said.