An Aboriginal health chief in western New South Wales says he is "fed up" with the local public hospital referring patients to his service when it does not have a doctor on site.
The Condobolin Aboriginal Health Service said people were being sent to see its general practitioner, who was unable to accept any more appointments because they were fully booked.
The Western NSW Local Health District confirmed the town's two doctors, who worked at the hospital, were currently on holiday.
They are due to return next week.
"Condobolin Hospital doesn't have a doctor so they're referring patients down to the Condobolin Aboriginal Medical Service to be looked at by our doctor," Condoblin Aboriginal Health Service chief executive Cecil Lester said.
But he said they couldn't fit any more patients in.
Mr Lester said the hospital had also asked the Aboriginal Health Service to transfer a patient to Orange or pay for the person's family to take them.
"We said that we can't do it," he said.
He said his team had to deal with things that affected the organisation and the community.
"They should do the same thing," he said.
"They're paid money to deliver a service."
Critical doctor shortage
A NSW parliamentary inquiry into accessing medical services in regional, rural and remote areas has previously heard examples of hospitals that do not have a doctor on site.
The situations have emerged either as a result of rostering challenges, staff shortages or an inability to recruit doctors to work in public hospitals.
The Western NSW Local Health District has defended the referral of non-emergency patients to other health providers.
It said people who required emergency or hospital care were treated by staff at the Condobolin Hospital.
"If emergency department triage determines hospital care or admission is not required, that person may be referred to a more appropriate care provider, such as a GP," a spokesperson said.
The health district said it was not unusual for a health service to work with community transport providers on non-urgent patient transfers.
