MLHD Position - Health Services Amendment (Splitting of MLHD) Bill 2025

Murrumbidgee Local Health District (MLHD) is committed to providing timely, efficient and appropriate care to patients in every part of the district.

A parliamentary inquiry into the Health Services Amendment (Splitting of the Murrumbidgee Local Health District) Bill 2025 is expected to begin later this year.

MLHD will prepare a submission for the inquiry which will include information about local health services.

Health care services in MLHD are highly networked and have been developed to ensure patients across the district receive appropriate care depending on their clinical needs.

Wagga Wagga Base Hospital is the only rural referral-level facility in MLHD and it serves as a vital hub for specialist healthcare services to every part of the district. It is also the designated regional trauma service for the district.

Splitting MLHD would have a detrimental impact on existing healthcare pathways and create unnecessary additional layers of administration.

Current arrangements allow staffing and community-based services to be networked and shared across the district.  Removing those arrangements would require existing services to be replicated, adding significant costs, and would only add to current staffing shortages experienced in healthcare services nationwide.

MLHD’s senior leadership team and several board members are based throughout the Murrumbidgee region, representing regional and rural patients and ensuring their unique healthcare needs are considered at an executive level.

MLHD continues to deliver high-quality healthcare and support to all our patients, no matter where they live or what level of care they require.