A new location for Panorama Clinic has been proposed, Cr Warren Aubin says

There have been calls for the clinic to be moved after patients were forced to transition into a hospital in the home model so the building would be available to extend the Bathurst hospital emergency department if COVID-19 cases got out of hand.

While Panorama Clinic resumed its services in November 2021, people say there is still a need to move the facility to ensure it doesn't have to close again in future.

READ ALSO: Bed block at hospital prompts Aubin's call to relocate Panorama Clinic

According to councillor Warren Aubin, the chairman of the Bathurst Health Services Action Group, the hospital and health district has listened to those concerns and are looking at a potential site.

He said the site being considered is the doctors' residence, on the corner of Durham and Mitre streets.

"The man that was acting general manager of the hospital put some very good proposals forward and one of those was to convert the doctors' house on the corner of Durham and Mitre into a standalone clinic for the Panorama Clinic," he said.

"That was a really good thing to hear because to have Panorama being able to have their own clinic and not have to shut down when there's pandemics and that sort of thing, I think that's a really positive step forward."

The Western Advocate asked the Western NSW Local Health District about the possibility of moving the clinic to this site and was told there are "no plans".

"The District has no plans to relocate the Panorama Clinic," a spokesperson said in a statement.

"The building on the corner of Durham and Mitre streets is currently utilised to accommodate visiting medical staff."

However, the Western Advocate understands the health district considers "plans" as being more than just an idea or a discussion.

Cr Aubin said that, if the clinic was relocated, it would also benefit the emergency department (ED).

"The other thing is that would free up some space in the hospital area to extend the ED section. If that comes to fruition, that would be really, really good," he said.

"We've had talks with the acting general manager and that was the proposal that was going to be put on the table, so I hope that actually gets some traction and gets happening, because that would be a win for everybody.

"... To actually have [Panorama Clinic] go into a standalone clinic and have that surety that they're there and get that area assigned with more beds, that would be a win-win-win."

If the clinic is not relocated, Cr Aubin fears that people who need the extra support from the inpatient setting could be sent home again if COVID worsens.

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