According to one Junee man, the services offered are severely limited.

"You can't get any service there, x-rays are only available on particular days, and you can't even get an ambulance in Junee on weekends, they have to come from elsewhere," John Hunter said, who lives in Junee.

"I think it's a total waste of space."

For Mr Hunter, the hospital's limited services had a personal impact on him.

"Two years ago I had a black out and fell and broke my wrist," he said.

"I went to the Junee Hospital, and they go through all the pre-med stuff, then said I have to go up the road to the doctor at the medical centre because no one can do anything here.

"So I went to get an x-ray done where the office isn't meant to close until 5pm, but at 4:15 in the afternoon, I get there they've all gone home."

Mr Hunter said the facility was merely the 'last stop before the mortuary', only catering for the elderly needing bed space.

"I've known people who have been in hospital there and it was just because they needed rest or watching, but if you need any real help it's the last place you'd get it," he said.

"There are doctors at the medical centre, but they can't do any of the procedures or anything so you have to go to the hospital in Wagga for real help."

More doctors and training in a wider variety of medical areas would be a start to improve the system, according to Mr Hunter.

"If we could have a doctor who could do surgery and more trained nurses to do general duties with surgeries it would be a lot better," he said.

"If you have acute appendicitis you have to wait for an ambulance first, then go to Wagga, and in the meantime your appendix could burst and you die.

"Not to mention, people are having to travel so long for a five minute appointment, it just doesn't work for many people."

A retired registered nurse of over 20 years, Lorraine Summerell also believes the Junee Hospital emergency department to be flawed.

"I worked at the old and new Junee hospital for years, and we fought to continue the emergency department back then," she said.

"Recently a relative of mine had to go to Junee Hospital and got sent to Wagga, and it wasn't necessary she went to Wagga but she said there were just no doctors here which seemed strange to me.

"So that's where my concern started, she told me a few things she's heard and I just thought it was ridiculous because we need an emergency department just like any other town, and if we lose it we'll never get it back."

Mrs Summerell said she had worked at Wagga Base Hospital as well as Junee Hospital, and felt the constant referral to Wagga would impact their own emergency department.

"Wagga Base will have a huge backlog in their emergency department, more so than they already do, and there are so many carry-on issues around the whole thing even down to the little things," she said.

"Cost is also a huge issue, I have a car and fuel money but there are people who don't have that luxury and can't get to wagga, or even visitors for the jail or something like that, and it just isn't feasible to get to wagga.

"We don't have public transport to get there and back either and people can't fork out for an ambulance when it isn't a real emergency."

Mrs Summerell said an emergency department should be a given for any community.

"It is an entitlement to adequate care and it seems like they might not be getting that," she said.

"The town is growing, how can you take away an emergency department especially now?

"I've seen the best and worst case, if we don't fight for it they're gonna be kicking themselves later when everything else crumbles around it."

Murrumbidgee Local Health District's Chief Executive, Jill Ludford, made comment on the situation, stating that the hospital's has methods in place to cater for patients when doctors are not available.

"The Emergency Department (ED) at Junee Multipurpose Service (MPS) is always open 24 hours, seven days," she said.

"Junee MPS has three General Practitioner (GP)/Visiting Medical Officers (VMOs) who provide medical cover for the ED on the on-call roster.

"When a doctor is not available, patients who arrive at the ED are assessed and triaged by Registered Nurses and their care needs determined."

Ms Ludford said any transfers to surrounding hospitals was 'standard practice'.

"As is standard practice, patients requiring more acute care are transferred to the nearest appropriate hospital after being triaged," she said.

"The MPS is also supported by the MLHD Critical Care Advisory Service which provides a link to specialist medical advice via telehealth cameras and telephone.

"MLHD works in collaboration with private General Practitioner (GP) practices in local communities to provide VMO services at district hospitals."

State member for Cootamundra, Steph Cooke, spoke of public concerns surrounding the closure of the emergency department, stating they are 'completely untrue'.

"To date in this role I have only ever heard fantastic things about the hardworking staff at the Junee MPS," she said.

"The Emergency Department is open 24 hours a day and the rumour surrounding its closure is completely untrue."

Ms Cooke added that while the control of that particular medical service was not in her hands, she urged the community to get in touch and help where possible.

"The staffing arrangements of our health services are a clinical matter for the Murrumbidgee Local Health District and Ambulance NSW, as the local member I don't influence these decisions," she said.

"However, if the community has genuine concerns about the availability of doctors or paramedics, I encourage them to get in touch with my office, and I will raise them with the Minister for Health in my meeting with him next week."

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