AN expert community action group has been formed to put pressure on the Western NSW Local Health District to improve health services for the Bathurst Region.
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Councillor Warren Aubin has met with doctors, surgeons and other community members to shed light on what's going on.
"I've formed a group for some positive action to the clinical services at Bathurst hospital," he said.
"I've been speaking to doctors - who will remain unnamed or they'll lose their jobs - and I've got eight senior business people from around here.
"We've had a meeting and some of the stories coming out of that meeting were horrendous, to say the least."
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One of his concerns is regarding the future of birthing at Bathurst's hospital.
Cr Aubin said he has heard that key staff are leaving and he wasn't confident that they would be easily replaced.
The Western Advocate last week put the question to the health service's general manager, Cathy Marshall.
She dismissed the claim, saying that women would continue to give birth at the hospital.
"If you are having a baby you are most welcome to have your baby at Bathurst," she said.
"We do have our retiring head of department and we are actively recruiting. That won't affect the service."
While he feels the current clinical staff do they best they can with what they've got, Cr Aubin is concerned how the health service will attract new staff to meet the demand for clinical services.
"The people of Bathurst deserve a much better service than what they are getting," he said.
"Why does every other person who enters Emergency get sent to Orange?
"People should be screaming about simple surgeries that should be being performed here, which on a daily occurrence are sent to Orange.
"It's just not good enough for Bathurst, the fastest growing regional city - we're bigger than Orange, we're faster growing. Why are we playing second fiddle?"
Ultimately, he wants to see more funding directed to Bathurst Health Service so it can meet both the needs of the local community and the needs of people from outlying areas who rely on it.
Concerns for the future of health services in Bathurst were raised with Bathurst Regional Council by Dr Lachlan Host and health advocate John Kellett in April.
While Cr Aubin heard their concerns, he didn't truly understand the severity of the problem until his own experience several weeks later, seeing him taken to Orange for a minor surgery.
The WNSWLHD is currently working on its integrated clinical services plan regarding the future of health services in Bathurst.
