Tumut Hospital redevelopment prompts community calls for MLHD to address rural doctor shortage

Association president Christine Webb welcomed news the hospital would include a brand new operating theatre and birthing unit, but said the facilities were "no good without doctors being in them".

External building works have now been completed at the new facility, which is expected to open in 2022.

Ten GPs who work in private practice also staff Tumut Hospital as visiting medical officers (VMOs), in line with the model used in rural hospitals across the Murrumbidgee Local Health District.

But Ms Webb claims there can be no doctors physically present at the hospital in some emergency situations.

A petition has been circulating since 2019 which calls on the MLHD to permanently employ two on-site doctors - an anaesthetist and an emergency specialist - at Tumut Hospital.

Ms Webb said the petition had attracted more than 8000 signatures, including those of 11 specialist doctors in Wagga.

She is aiming to reach 10,000 signatories with the hope of it being tabled in NSW Parliament.

Nationals MLC Wes Fang said there was "always a doctor available" at Tumut Hospital, either in-person or remotely providing advice via telehealth.

"I believe that the current system is supporting the need of Tumut at the moment," he said.

MLHD executive medical services director Len Bruce said the health district was working to attract medical officers to Tumut Hospital, and that recruiting rural doctors was a "nationwide challenge".

"Some hospitals in MLHD do have difficulties filling their on-call rosters," he said.