Cr Dover, who is also head of the Tomaree Hospital Action Group, said the best thing for the hospital would be for private ownership, which could allow for a board, made up of community members, to make decisions.

"I am not confident of getting anything done about the lack of facilities while the State Government is in control," she said.

Port Stephens MP Craig Baumann shared Cr Dover's opinion about the State Government's handling of the hospital, recently saying in a statement that Minister for the Hunter Jodi McKay had failed to take any action following a recent meeting.

"At the meeting we discussed the need for increased funding for more services at the hospital, including the introduction of x-ray and dialysis, the high cost of ambulance transfers and of course the need for better negotiations with local GPs," Mr Baumann said.

But nothing had happened since the meeting.

Cr Dover said the fact Tomaree doctors were unable to admit patients to the hospital was cause for concern, with new medical provider Ochre continuing to roster GPs on 24-hour shifts.

"If a doctor starts at 6am and someone has a heart attack at 3am the next morning you can't tell me he would be completely on the ball," she said.

Cr Dover also commented on the cost of ambulance transfers, which have more than doubled in the past three years.

"It's another case of the bureaucrats making bad decisions and then having to pay for them," she said.

Records have shown in 2008-09 the NSW Ambulance Service spent $808,810 transporting patients from Tomaree to the John Hunter and Calvery Mater hospitals.