COMMUNITY members are encouraged to share their experiences at Bathurst Hospital in the midst of an uproar over the future of clincial services in Bathurst.
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Recently, councillor Warren Aubin started a community action group, which includes local doctors, to fight for positive changes to the Bathurst Health Service.
His colleague Jess Jennings also supports the group.
Cr Jennings, who ran for the federal seat of Calare, said that a return to government for the Coalition was to the detriment of health services in the electorate.
"In cold hard cash terms, the difference between the Coalition and Labor, was $44.4 million - that's for schools, hospital and health funding. That had implications to the tune of about $7 million for Bathurst's hospital alone," he said.
"I might have lost the election, but not being a marginal seat also means that the Calare electorate has lost out in terms of direct cash injections to health and schools."
He has now called on state and federal MPs, Paul Toole and Andrew Gee, to fight for the needs of Bathurst.
The two things Bathurst needs most, he said, are an MRI machine and more clinicians.
"Lithgow, a town half the size of Bathurst, recently was granted an MRI machine, but Bathurst doesn't have one," Cr Jennings said.
"And no doubt Orange has multiple MRI machines, and we're the same population as them and are growing at a faster rate."
He has been following the work of the newly-formed community action group and said he "fully supports" what they are trying to achieve.
One thing that group has been doing is seeking out stories from patients who have had negative experiences with Bathurst Health Service.
Cr Jennings said it was important that members of the community speak up about their experiences, because people power has proven to be effective in the past.
"The more community voices on this, the better, and I'm certainly in touch with Warren about how that is evolving," he said.
