The meeting is the last in a series that Dr Kelly has run in the electorate on the National Hospitals Reform Commission Report and will look at options for the future of the health service.

The meeting comes at an important time, as action group committee member, Frankie J Holden, plans to hand deliver a letter to Health Minister, Carmel Tebbutt’s office on Friday, November 27, asking for a response following the group’s meeting with her, November 4.

Mr Holden will also be taking a rough cut of the advertisement built around last week’s march.

While Dr Kelly’s consultation process is not expected to cover Pambula Hospital, action group members are keen to send a strong message to the Federal Government, that the community is concerned about its future health facilities.

Mr Holden said that Dr Kelly has been a friend to the group and has “lent a sympathetic ear,” but at the moment health is in the hands of the State Government.

“The committee’s position is that we want autonomy for Pambula Hospital and other hospitals like it. We want to see small hospitals run by community boards with federal and state funding. That was the way it was until the 80s and we think the past is the future,” Mr Holden said.

“We have the capacity to manage that hospital and work with Bega Hospital. We want to engage with government and the bureaucracy,” Mr Holden said.

At Saturday’s meeting, Dr Kelly will be asking the audience what of three strategic options for a reformed health care system they would like to see and accordingly how much they would be willing to pay for it.

The three strategic options for reform that were presented are:

First strategic option - Partial takeover of the health system;

Second strategic option - two stage, full takeover of the health and hospitals system. Undertake First option, and Commonwealth gradually moves to 100 per cent funding of acute hospital services;

Third strategic option - undertake the first two options simultaneously this is not a recommendation of the Health and Hospital Reform Commission

This feedback will then be taken to a special Council of Australian Government’s (COAG) in early December. More information about the process can be obtained at: www.yourhealth.gov.au