Why the private hospital needs the Bathurst Integrated Medical Centre to go ahead

The general manager of the private hospital, Geoff Oakley, fought back tears at Wednesday's council meeting as he conveyed just how integral the proposed Bathurst Integrated Medical Centre (BIMC) is to the future of health services in the city.

Speaking in front of a packed public gallery, Mr Oakley said Bathurst Private Hospital will cease to exist if it doesn't move before the lease at the current building in Gormans Hill runs out.

It is a race against time, with the BIMC considered the only option.

"The fact is, we have a short lease. We have probably 80 people there that work currently, including doctors," Mr Oakley said.

"Once that lease runs out, we don't have a job. We don't have a facility.

"That's black and white."

READ MORE: 'A fantastic future legacy': Councillors back height amendment for medical centre

Part of the BIMC proposal is for the private hospital to be relocated to the integrated medical centre, where it will occupy about one-sixth of the overall building.

Mr Oakley, who has been involved in the construction of buildings worth hundreds of millions of dollars, said he knows that buildings like the one proposed attract workers, and surgeons in particular.

Just this year, he has been in talks with three surgeons who love the region and want to work in Bathurst, he said.

Two of them declined after seeing the existing facilities.

The third surgeon is still interested, and for one key reason: the BIMC.

"I have a surgeon currently in play that wants to come to our service, very excited about the new facility. That is the reason he is coming to town," Mr Oakley said.

"We will lose him if we don't do something quickly with the new medical centre."

Mr Oakley said that Bathurst needs better health services, and quickly, or it would be left behind as other regional cities increase their offering.

"If we don't move forward on this quickly, we will be left behind," he said.

"Every day, I hear our services go to Orange. This town needs to turn that around.

"We have two orthopaedic surgeons here. We're trying to get another orthopaedic surgeon, but our facilities may not cater for that."

Mr Oakley wrapped up his address with a promise: if the council progressed the BIMC proposal, he would deliver the extra health services the city needs.

"We will bring surgeons to this town. I will improve services to this town, I guarantee it, but we can't sit on it any longer," he said.

"... Bathurst definitely has its heritage and is a beautiful place, but we do need an integrated medical centre of some capacity and it needs to be made quickly."

Later that night, council resolved to adopt the proposed amendment to the Local Environmental Plan (LEP) that would permit the proposed facility to be built at a height of 29 metres and to have a floor space ratio of 2.6:1.

The move has not granted development consent, which is a decision that needs to be made at a state level, but it allows the proposal to take a step forward.

Council will now forward the BIMC planning proposal to the NSW Department of Planning and Environment for gazettal.

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