It's less than 12 months before Maitland Hospital is decommissioned and closed and still no decision has been made about the historic site's future.
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The existing hospital will be replaced by the $470 million New Maitland Hospital at Metford which is on schedule for a 2022 opening.
The delay of a blueprint for the future use of the existing hospital has raised the ire of Member for Maitland Jenny Aitchison who is concerned the site will be sold to the highest bidder and taken out of community hands.
She also wants a guarantee from the government that there will be community engagement or debate on how the old site would be best utilised.
The Maitland MP has put NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard on notice, calling for answers to her questions.
There has been a raft of suggestions put forward for the existing hospital site - everything from a precinct for allied health services, a mental health or palliative care centre to a museum or cultural hub.
Mrs Aitchison said she has been advocating for a community use for the site since the Government made it clear it would not operate the hospital on the completion of the new hospital.
"I am concerned at the future use of both the old hospital and old ambulance station sites and want the government to fully engage with the community about what is possible for both locations," she said.
A NSW Health Infrastructure spokesperson said the government's $470 million new Maitland Hospital will offer a wider range of services and significantly more beds and treatment spaces for the growing population.
"The future use of the existing site is currently being determined in line with NSW Government policy and in consultation with local stakeholders including Maitland City Council," the NSW Health Infrastructure spokesperson said.
"The NSW Government is in the process of conducting property due diligence checks to guide in the planning of the potential future use of the site," the NSW Health Infrastructure spokesperson said.
"Upon the transfer of services from the existing to the new hospital, and the new hospital in Metford opening in 2022, the existing Maitland Hospital site will be decommissioned and closed."
A spokesperson for Maitland City Council said council welcomes the opportunity to participate in engagement around the future of the site. "As the site is not a council asset, questions around plans for wider community engagement are best directed to NSW Health Infrastructure," the spokesperson said.
But Ms Aitchison remains concerned the community could be left on the outer in discussions, and also of the hospital's heritage significance.
"We know that as the fastest growing community outside of Sydney in NSW, Maitland residents need to have community facilities too, and there have been a number of suggestions from people for things such as mental health facilities, recreational spaces for people with disabilities, museum or cultural facilities, or a palliative care hospice and other health related uses," she said.
"I am concerned that the government may not properly consult with the community. Without proper consultation, we risk the land being sold off to the highest bidder, rather than staying in community hands and providing a valuable purpose for the community.
"The concern in relation to the hospital is its heritage significance."
