Mental health is an increasing problem but the response is lagging far behind. One person described a particular medical problem. The person suffers renal cholic and had to have kidney stones removed. This person needed to see a renal specialist but the specialist only visits from Newcastle and the patient had to wait 7 weeks to get an appointment, only to be told before then that the doctor would not be returning to the town but would refer the patient to another specialist. The costs were enormous and the patient could not afford to pay for all the tests the doctor wanted done.
Doctors pass patients round and round each other.
There are very long waiting times to see specialists and to get into hospital for operations and treatment. Doctors are hard to attract to the town and do not stay long. The area has received funding for consumers of mental health services but no one knows where it has gone. Taree and Kempsey have mental health advocates but Port Macquarie does not. There are three private psychiatrists in Port Macquarie and all bulk bill.