Community members with questions regarding the Deniliquin Medical Centre decision are invited to participate in drop-in sessions being held Monday.
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Edward River Council staff will be at the Deniliquin Town Hall to provide information, with drop-in sessions being held from 12pm-2pm and 4pm-6pm.
Those unable to attend can contact the council office on 5898 3000 with their queries.
There has been growing angst in the community since ERC announced last Friday evening that it had chosen to dissolve Ochre Health’s lease contract at the medical centre a year before it was due to expire.
The reasoning and timing has been questioned by the community, who have also expressed genuine fear that it would impact on health access and result in a loss of doctors.
Questions have also centred on what happens to the staff and doctors employed by Ochre.
Council yesterday confirmed it has begun a formal tender process to appoint a new operator for the Deniliquin Medical Centre.
Council and Ochre Health have been engaged in discussions since 2025 about service delivery levels at the community-owned facility, with both parties now focused on ensuring continuity of care for patients during the transition period.
“Access to reliable healthcare is something we all care deeply about,” council said in a statement.
“Council's responsibility as owner of the purpose-built medical facility is to ensure it is being used to its full potential to deliver the healthcare services our community needs and deserves.
“For a significant period of time, the service levels delivered from the Deniliquin Medical Centre have not met the requirements set out in the relevant legal agreement.
“These requirements relate to the delivery of healthcare services from the facility, including practitioner availability, service levels and commitments intended to support reliable access to primary healthcare for the Edward River community.”
While council acknowledged the significant recruitment challenges facing rural and regional healthcare providers across Australia, it said the parties had been unable to reach a long-term solution that would provide confidence the facility could meet the growing healthcare needs of the region.
The lease conditions, council said, were established to ensure the community received maximum benefit from the purpose-built facility, including full utilisation of available consulting rooms and the provision of sufficient medical services for local residents.
“Every decision throughout this process has been guided by one objective - securing the strongest possible long-term healthcare outcome for the people of the Edward River Council region," Mayor Ashley Hall said.
“We also recognise the significant challenges faced by healthcare providers in attracting and retaining medical practitioners in regional communities.
“This decision was not about those challenges in isolation. It was about ensuring council's community-owned medical facility is positioned to deliver the strongest possible long-term healthcare outcomes for local residents."
There has been speculation that the leasing decision was made last Wednesday afternoon following a meeting with Ochre Health, which council has said is not accurate.
Councillors resolved to terminate the lease during a three-hour confidential session of last Tuesday's ordinary council meeting, following an amendment to the original Notice of Motion.
Council CEO Jack Bond said an extraordinary council meeting was then convened the following day to ensure the formal resolution reflected council's intention to maintain a positive and collaborative relationship with Ochre Health during the transition period.
“Those discussions have resulted in an agreed pathway that allows both parties to focus on maintaining continuity of care while future service arrangements are progressed,” Mr Bond said.
“Council remains committed to working professionally and collaboratively with Ochre Health throughout the transition period and acknowledges the organisation's contribution to healthcare delivery in Deniliquin over many years."
As part of its next steps, council has commenced a formal tender process to identify and appoint a new GP provider committed to delivering accessible and sustainable healthcare services for the region.
Cr Hall said retaining and engaging locally based staff would be an important consideration during discussions with any future operator, recognising the valuable role they play in healthcare delivery.
Ochre Health, while disappointed with the decision, said it would continue operating the Deniliquin Medical Centre until October 1, 2026. It may leave earlier if council secures an alternative provider and an orderly transition can take place.
Ochre Health CEO Patrick Dwyer said the organisation's priority was ensuring patients experienced minimal disruption throughout the changeover.
“We have agreed to work constructively with council and any future provider to support continuity of care and minimise disruption for patients, including facilitating the appropriate transfer of patient records in accordance with all legal and privacy requirements,” he said.
“Our focus remains firmly on supporting our patients, our doctors and our dedicated local team throughout this process.”
Mr Dwyer also thanked local clinicians and staff for their dedication to the community, describing their professionalism, resilience and commitment as "outstanding".
Mr Dwyer said the decision was disappointing, particularly given Ochre Health's ongoing commitment to the Deniliquin community and its continued efforts to strengthen local medical services.
“For more than 20 years, Ochre Health has been committed to delivering healthcare to rural and remote communities across Australia.
“Today, we are the only large-scale general practice provider operating across the full spectrum of Australia's rural, regional and remote communities, from MM1 through to MM7 locations. Supporting these communities is fundamental to who we are."
Mr Dwyer noted that GP recruitment continues to be one of the “greatest challenges” facing healthcare providers in regional Australia, but recently broke through for some success.
“Like healthcare providers across regional Australia, recruiting GPs into rural communities continues to be one of the sector's greatest challenges," he said.
“Despite this, we have remained committed to Deniliquin and, in recent weeks, successfully recruited two new GPs to join the practice.”