Council Calls for Consultation on Changes to Wee Waa Hospital

Published on 16 July 2025

Narrabri Shire Council has welcomed the release of the Review of Wee Waa Health Service (May 2025) as an important step in the long campaign to restore healthcare services in the town — but says the recommendations fall short of what the Wee Waa community needs and expects.

Mayor of Narrabri Shire Cr. Darrell Tiemens said Council had hoped the review would respond to clear and consistent community concerns, particularly the loss of 24-hour hospital services. Instead, the proposed model fails to address critical service gaps and risks entrenching a downgraded level of care.

“The community has waited a long time for this review and we acknowledge its release is a key milestone,” Mayor Tiemens said. “But we are concerned that unless Hunter New England Health and the NSW Government work closely with the community from here, the result will be a plan that does not meet local needs.”

One of Council’s main concerns is the recommendation to replace the emergency department with a nurse-led urgent care model, supported by virtual medical input. This model is designed to treat minor injuries and illnesses, but lacks the capacity for overnight or critical care. There is no clear definition of the proposed “extended hours” of operation, no timetable for implementation, and no guarantee of staffing levels beyond 5:30pm.

“There are no assurances that urgent medical support will be available after-hours,” Mayor Tiemens said. “That leaves residents dangerously exposed. People shouldn’t have to travel 40 kilometres to Narrabri or more than 200 kilometres to Tamworth in the middle of the night to access care in an emergency.”

The review also does not recommend reinstating an on-call doctor at Wee Waa Hospital, instead suggesting virtual care and partnerships with general practices. Council believes this is inadequate for a rural town with significant distances to major hospitals.

Inpatient services are also slated to be significantly reduced. Despite the hospital being built to accommodate 18 beds, the review proposes opening only four to five sub-acute and non-acute beds, including one for palliative care.

“This model falls well short of restoring the hospital to a functional and sustainable level,” Mayor Tiemens said. “At best, it maintains the status quo — and at worst, it formalises the slow dismantling of services that the community has been fighting against.”

Council is also concerned that the review compares Wee Waa to towns such as Bulli, Pambula, Wauchope and Wentworth — locations with major hospitals less than 45 minutes away. Wee Waa, by contrast, is more than 2.5 hours by road from Tamworth Hospital, making local services not just a convenience but a necessity.

Carmel Schwager, spokesperson for the Save Our Wee Waa Hospital committee, said the recommendations were a blow after months of advocacy.

“Our community rallied, we held meetings, we gathered more than 12,000 signatures – all calling for the reinstatement of a 24/7 hospital with an on-call doctor in town,” Mrs Schwager said. “This report doesn’t deliver that. An ‘urgent care’ clinic is not the outcome we’ve fought for, and it’s not one we will accept. Our hospital is a mere shadow of what we had in Wee Waa twenty years ago and we will continue the fight.”

Narrabri Shire Council is now calling for meaningful community consultation before any implementation begins. Council is urging the NSW Government and Hunter New England Health to work collaboratively with local residents, health professionals and stakeholders to find a solution that delivers real, round-the-clock care.

“This is a matter of equity and safety,” Mayor Tiemens said. “Wee Waa is a growing town with two high schools, three primary schools, and a large farming community. A nurse-led clinic with limited hours is not enough. Council and the community will continue to advocate for the reinstatement of 24-hour emergency care and the return of a doctor to Wee Waa Hospital.”