Young Councillor, Stuart Freudenstein, is disappointed that Cowra, Young and Boorowa will now share funds for a renal unit.
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The Young Health Service currently houses a self-managed renal dialysis unit. But the Young Health Advisory Committee hoped to upgrade it to a managed unit with staff.
"I was wondering whether we should be kicking doors down, expressing our disappointment," Cr Freudenstein said.
Last week Murrumbidgee Local Health District (MLHD) announced it had formed a partnership with the Western NSW Local Health District to work closely together to plan for a new regional renal dialysis unit to service Young, Boorowa and Cowra at Cowra Health Service.
Work on an eight chair unit - that will initially be open three days per week - is proposed to start in July and unit is expected to be ready to receive patients by February 2016.
Mayor John Walker - a member of the Young Health Advisory committee - defended the decision saying Young hasn't completely missed out, with local patients' travel time cut in half to access the service.
"Murrumbidgee Local Health District said Young was going to upgrade, they said funding was available but they couldn't guarantee the staff," Cr Walker said,
"It's hard for us to qualify getting that service unless it's viable.
"Cowra is in a different health district and keeping in mind they have some room at their hospital, there was a push from Orange for one to go to Cowra, which in itself is a huge step forward and still a plus for Young."
But Cr Walker disputed that the decision was announced by NSW Health Minister Jillian Skinner during a visit to Cowra in November 2014, as claimed by MLHD.
He said he and Young's general manager Peter Vlatko were only informed of the decision to base the unit at Cowra at 9.30am on March 30.
He plans to organise a meeting with Member for Cootamundra Katrina Hodgkinson as soon as possible.
"We'll explain the case; that patients still have to travel, Cowra is in a different health district and that Young still wants the service," he said.
MLHD executive director of nursing and midwifery Karen Cairney said the Murrumbidgee Local Health District Renal Clinical Service Plan stated that the feasibility of establishing a satellite/in-care centre at Young would be explored by MLHD in collaboration with the Ministry of Health.
She said while specialist staff could be recruited and trained locally, the unit was being established at Cowra Hospital for patients of the surrounding region.
"MLHD will undertake regular analysis of renal service demand to plan future services," Ms Cairney said.
"The Young self-dialysis service will remain."
