Manning Hospital general manager, Tricia Bulic is currently working to explain the decision to relocate public dialysis chairs from the Nita Reed Community Dialysis Centre in Chatham to Forster Private Hospital.

The decision has shocked patients, their families and broader Manning Valley community and sparked a campaign by patients to retain the centre for dialysis.

Patients have cast their net wide in the campaign to protest and seek support for the centre by writing letters to member for Myall Lakes Stephen Bromhead, member for Lyne David Gillespie, NSW minister for health Jillian Skinner, NSW shadow minister for health Andrew McDonald, NSW minister for family and community services Gabrielle Upton, the Agency for Clinical Innovation, Manning Hospital, Greater Taree City Council and local nephrologist, Dr Purvish Patel.

They are also calling for the broader community to join their campaign to express the consensus view that "it is not good enough ... to uproot a perfectly well run renal unit within the public health system under the current Hunter New England Health and transfer the services to a private health facility."

Ms Bulic recently addressed the decision saying, "the relocation of the dialysis chairs based at the Nita Reed Community Dialysis Centre became a key priority following an audit of the physical infrastructure, which showed it was not suitable for future service delivery."

"Further assessment identified that a quarter of our patients are from the Forster-Tuncurry area and travel three times a week for treatment," she said.

"The existing dialysis chairs at Manning Hospital will continue to operate.

"There will be no reduction in dialysis services in the Manning region as a result of the relocation of the Nita Reed Dialysis Centre chairs. Public patients will continue to be treated as usual.

"Patients' acuity will determine where they will be treated. Their location and transport options will also be taken into account. HNE Health is committed to providing transport assistance to those patients who need it."

HNE Health director of acute services, Todd McEwan added that "HNE Health will keep staff and patients updated on work to relocate the chairs, with the general managers of Manning and Forster Private hospitals to chair a series of steering group meetings with key stakeholders in the lead-up to the new service in early 2015."

"HNE Health clinical nurse consultants and nurse practitioners will provide training and education to Forster Private Hospital staff during a transition period. They will also provide continued support," he explained.

"HNE Health is currently considering options for how to best use the Nita Reed Dialysis Centre building and will keep the community informed of progress."

Member for Myall Lakes Stephen Bromhead issued a statement saying, "A number of concerns have been raised with me regarding the future of the Neita (sic) Reed Dialysis Centre in Taree and I have written to the General Manager of Manning Base Hospital Ms Tricia Bulic outlining those concerns.

"I have been advised that there will not be any reduction in renal services or renal chairs in the Myall Lakes Electorate.

"The NSW Government have devolved decision making down to local level and as such this issue being an operational issue, is handled by the Manning Base Hospital and Hunter New England Health."