The town has a near-new multiple-purpose service, opened in 2009, but according to Mr Hodges it fails to treat patients accordingly.

Mr Hodges says emergency patients are turned away to either Muswellbrook or Scone hospitals for treatment.

“[The service is] fully

functioning and running, yet it’s not being used,” Mr Hodges said.

“We don’t need to go to Muswellbrook or Scone – we have a hospital here in Merriwa, we need to use it.”

Mr Hodges concern comes after his 18-year-old daughter required medical help on two occasions in the past year, the first for stitches after a heavy fall and the second time for breathing

difficulties.

Both times she was taken immediately to Merriwa MPS for treatment and both times was placed in an ambulance and transferred to Muswellbrook hospital.

Hunter New England Health said at times some emergencies required transfers to other nearby facilities and each case was treated on an individual patient basis.

Safety of the patient in each case was the key consideration.

“From July 1 until January 31, 39 patients out of a total of 586 presentations to the [Merriwa] emergency department required transfer to another facility,” Upper Hunter cluster acting general manager Judy Bernasconi said.

“Patients who require transfer to another facility will be transferred back to Merriwa MPS as soon as their condition allows and accepted by a medical officer.”

Two general practitioners service the Merriwa area and with a near-new hospital Mr Hodges said he could not understand why people were forced to travel to other centres for medical care.

Mr Hodges said the 40-minute trip from Merriwa to Scone or Muswellbrook meant extra time and fuel costs for people.

Transports to either hospital also meant ambulances were on the road for what Mr Hodges described as “minor emergencies”.

“We shouldn’t be bothering ambulance drivers that could be at a serious emergency, but instead they’re taking someone that needs two stitches to Muswellbrook,” he said.

“I just want to try and get it [Merriwa MPS] to function better.”

The Merriwa MPS has a 24-hour emergency department with two emergency beds, eight acute care beds, on-site ambulance service and one general practitioner.

It also offers a range of allied health services including child and family health, physiotherapy, women’s health and community nursing.