Currently, the Maitland Hospital does not have an MBS licence for their state of the art 3 Tesla MRI machine, which is used to take images of soft tissues and organs that x-rays can't see.

This means inpatients and emergency patients have access to free MRI testing, however external medical practitioners are unable to refer their patients to be tested by the hospital's machine.

The local health committee is calling for a full licence so the MRI machine at Maitland Hospital will be available to all.

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The process to get a full MRI licence requires applying when the Federal Government calls for an Invitation To Apply (ITA), which was last called for in 2018.

Liberal candidate for Paterson, Brooke Vitnell, said she has written to the Minister for Health about the licence.

"I support increased access to MRI services for our community," she said.

"I have written and engaged with the Federal Minister for Health, the Hon Greg Hunt MP, bringing this issue to his attention for the Maitland community."

A spokesperson for Hunter New England Health said they applied for a full MBS MRI licence when the ITA was last called in 2018, but were unsuccessful in the application for Maitland Hospital, which opened in January, 2022.

The Health Committee representatives said they have not been able to get an answer from the government about when the next ITA will be called.

Gordon Gorton, a community representative at Maitland Local Health Committee, said people from the Upper Hunter will also benefit greatly from the licence, and it will reduce current wait times, travel times and costs.

"When they get this licence they'll be able to offer the MRI service to people within the hospital and also the people coming externally to the hospital," Mr Gorton said.

In 2021, the Maitland Local Health Committee provided a document to all levels of government from the Prime Minister to our local members, detailing the justification for the licence along with letters of support from clinicians, service clubs and councils.

"Over the last two years approaching the opening of the new Maitland Hospital, we have been in constant contact with all levels of government, both federal and state, in an endeavour to get the full MRI licence granted," Mr Gorton said.

Chair of the Health Committee, Trevor Lynch, said their group wants the community to be aware of the situation.

"The population in Maitland is increasing at such a rate, we've got a new hospital that is designed to take us into the future, $3 million has been spent on an MRI machine but they haven't allowed us to access Medicare payments for it." he said.

Federal member for Maitland, Meryl Swanson, said she has been working passionately to fight for Maitland Hospital's full MRI licence.

"The locals know the need, the Minister knows the need, yet we keep being overlooked," Ms Swanson said.

"The need for this MRI licence has been demonstrated, and local families can't afford to wait any longer for this critical support."

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