Member for New England, Barnaby Joyce has acted promptly to save the Uralla Medical Centre from closure.

The Centre has been threatened with closure following an apparent mix up with paperwork and potential financial implications which could make the Centre unviable.

Mr Joyce said this is an issue of critical importance to the local area. We cannot have another country town lose a doctor.

“I have used Uralla medical services myself and I know how important it is that they stay open,” Mr Joyce said.

The Member for New England said the threat of closure unmasked the ‘mealy-mouthed words and glossy brochures’ in the recent Federal Budget where the Labor Government promised more funding for regional and rural health.

“If bureaucracy stands in the way of rural doctors being able to service local families, then it doesn’t matter what dollar-figures are promised in the budget, it means nothing if there is no-one on the ground to deliver those services to the local communities,” Mr Joyce said.

“I have sent an urgent letter to the Federal Minister for Health, Mark Butler, requesting the Commonwealth Government urgently and proactively engages with the Uralla Medical Centre to resolve any outstanding issues.

“It is imperative, if we are to have a standard of living near that enjoyed by the city, that we have access to basic medical services.

“The potential loss of these medical services at Uralla removes one of the primary attributes of a standard of living that no-one in the city would accept.

“I urge Minister Butler to immediately address this issue which has occurred under his Labor Government,” Mr Joyce said.