Now Greater Western Area Health Service chief executive officer Dr Claire Blizard says an independent review into patient activity at Bathurst Hospital has found there are two systems for measuring patient activity - one at Commonwealth level and one at state level.

Under the state system, Bathurst Base Hospital has always been classified as a C1 hospital and under the Commonwealth system the classification of Bathurst Base Hospital has varied between B2 and C1.

The information was presented to the Bathurst Medical Staff Council (MSC) at a meeting on Wednesday night. The review was conducted after Bathurst doctors raised concerns that data collected by GWAHS was flawed.

“The consultant’s review found that the classification of Bathurst Base Hospital by the Commonwealth has made no difference to its historical funding nor has it been used in planning considerations for the new Bathurst Base Hospital,” Dr Blizard said.

“The consultant has agreed to continue to work with clinicians so that data collected will accurately represent the current volume and complexity of services provided by Bathurst Base Hospital.”

Dr Stavros Prineas, a spokesman for the MSC said they received confirmation from the independent reviewer that there were errors in the way data had been compiled in a report published by GWAHS for internal use.

“We were given an assurance that this error did not impact on the department of health’s view of funding or planning for Bathurst Base Hospital,” he said.

“The independent auditor also confirmed that according to the NSW Department of Health peer group hospital classification system, which has been in operation since 1998, Bathurst has technically been a C1 - a medium sized district hospital - all this time.

“This may come as a surprise to clinicians and members of the community who campaigned in the late ’80s to have the status of the then Bathurst District Hospital elevated to the status of base hospital at a time when the term base hospital meant something.”