Inverell Shire Council has continued to advocate for strong healthcare presence in the region.
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Mayor Paul Harmon and General Manager Brett McInnes attended the NSW Health Ministry in Sydney on Monday and made representations to Luke Sloan, Deputy Secretary for Regional Health.
Constructive discussions took place and Mr Sloane acknowledged the concerns that were raised regarding the level of service experienced at the Inverell Hospital.
Mr Sloane outlined the restructure in Hunter New England Health Local Health District (HNELHD) and the greater emphasis this will place on regional areas including the Northern Tablelands Region.
These changes are recent and while improvements will take time he expressed confidence in those who will have a direct influence over outcomes for the Inverell community.
Mr Sloane committed to ensuring HNELHD actively and genuinely engage with council to develop a partnership approach to delivering the best possible outcomes for the community.
Mayor Harmon reinforced Council's eagerness to positively engage with local health management and agreed this is essential to providing improved services in the future.
Mr Sloane agreed that Council had a valuable contribution to make to any future clinical service planning process and whilst the future of health delivery is certainly changing, it was understood that council would advocate strongly for the level of service the Inverell community deserves.
The meeting concluded positively with Mr Sloane expressing a desire to visit Inverell as soon as he is able for further discussions.
