The opening of health worker accomodation pods on the Tamworth Hospital site is a welcome finalisation of an initative funded and initated by the former Coalition Government and designed to attract more health workers to the region.

Member for Tamworth Kevin Anderson welcomed Minister for Health Ryan Park to Tamworth and the Minister used the visit to open the pods at Tamworth Hospital.

"The opening of health worker accommodation pods at Tamworth Hospital is a welcome finalisation of an initiative we put in place some time ago to attract more health workers to our region." Mr Anderson said.

"The Tamworth Hospital pods are in addition to pods we opened last year in Gunnedah, Walcha and Quirindi, and I know health professionals have been working in those hospitals, free of the burden of finding accommodation in a tight housing market.

"The new units in Tamworth are on top of the 22 units previously delivered across the Hunter New England Health District, and it is sincerely hoped that medical professionals visiting our region will see the benefits of living and working in rural and regional areas."

The Minister also used his visit to the region to announce the continuation of an expansion of the 'single employer' model to include Tamworth and Armidale Hospitals.

"It was also good to hear that the Minister would continue with the proposal to expand the single employer model to our region, with Tamworth confirmed as an initial trial site," Mr Anderson added.

"The Single Employer Model allows trainee doctors to retain their employee benefits while training to specialise as a rural generalist. It is hoped that this will make the career more attractive to young doctors, and the experience in the Murrumbidgee suggests it will be successful.

"I’ll be keeping a very close eye on the trial, in the hopes that it could continue to expand and benefit our smaller towns like Gunnedah, Quirindi, Barraba, and Manilla."