Invitations to address the community at the meeting have been fired off by Taree businessman Alan Tickle and Taree-Wingham Race Club chairman Greg Coleman to Hunter New England Health Service, National Party representatives member for Myall Lakes Stephen Bromhead and federal member for Lyne Dr David Gillespie, Manning Hospital Medical Staff Council representatives, Manning Health Committee Chair Don Macinnis OAM, Lower Mid North Coast Sector Manager Jodi Nieass and the NSW Ambulance Service. 

Mr Tickle will chair the meeting and says political candidates contesting the federal seat of Lyne will not be invited to address the meeting to “avoid political grandstanding”.

The two men are working to try to increase community awareness about the funding of Manning Hospital, its classification in the NSW Trauma Services Plan, resourcing and the protocols governing NSW Ambulance Service decisions about trauma and treatment at Manning Hospital or Port Macquarie Base Hospital.

“The objective of the community meeting is to identify resource issues and how the community can help change this,” Mr Tickle said. He also took to social media this week to urge members of the community to support the meeting and “spread the word”.

The catalyst for the decision to host the community meeting and advocate for a change to the NSW Trauma Services Plan comes after the May 23 five horse race fall at Bushland Drive Racecourse in Taree. Five ambulances attended the accident with two jockeys airlifted to John Hunter Hospital in Newcastle with another two transported by ambulance to Port Macquarie Base Hospital. No jockeys were transported to Manning Hospital for assessment or treatment.