A GWAHS spokesperson said the area health service had processed the doctor’s application for visiting rights at the Blayney Multi-Purpose Service and expected to finalise his contract before he moves to the shire.

“A very experienced general practitioner is interested in moving his private practice to Blayney,” the spokesperson said.

“The finalisation of the doctor's visiting appointment is not affecting the timing of his relocation to Blayney.”

According to GWAHS, Dr Shepherd is “in the process of winding up his personal and professional affairs in his current location and his progress with those matters will determine his availability”.

Blayney Shire mayor Bruce Kingham said Dr Shepherd applied for visiting rights to the hospital including the accident and emergency department in April but was still waiting for a contract from GWAHS.

“He isn’t available until October because he is contracted to the Hunter Health service until September,” he said.

If the contract offered by GWAHS allows him to Dr Shepherd hopes to share the accident and emergency department workload with other doctors in the area, Cr Kingham said.

After April’s public meeting Dr Shepherd went on a tour of the Blayney Multipurpose Health Service facilities and was “very impressed” by the high standard, Cr Kingham said.

Cr Kingham believes the hospital needs a doctor to end the ongoing problems and delays with the Blayney ambulance service.

“Because we haven’t got a doctor at the accident and emergency department it snowballs the problems with the ambulance service where the ambulance is out of town more because it’s been instructed to bypass Blayney Hospital,” he said.

Rumours that Blayney Hospital was earmarked for closure had not been confirmed, Cr Kingham said.

“We’ll be fighting that,” he said.

“There’s no way we’ll let them close it.”