He also argued that both sides of the NSW Parliament should keep their opinions to themselves on the current negotiations between the Greater Western Area Health Service and Drs Dean Fisher and Geoff O’Connor.

His advice, however, fell on deaf ears with members of the State Coalition expressing outrage and frustration at the ongoing saga.

“This dispute has gone on long enough, it’s time for the Rees Labor Government to stop playing games and resolve this situation,” State Opposition spokesperson on health Jillian Skinner said.

The visiting medical officer (VMO) contracts of Drs Fisher and O’Connor expired about two months ago, halving the permanent surgical VMO team at Dubbo Base Hospital.

The doctors have been holding out for change in the delivery of emergency procedures they say will reduce costs, boost staff morale and provide better patient care.

But Greater Western says it can’t justify the “fee they expect to receive for their service”, a statement that disturbs The Nationals’ duty MLC for Dubbo Duncan Gay.

“I personally have found it offensive that the Government has tried to portray a stigma of greedy doctors in this situation - nothing could be further from the truth,” he said.

“These two doctors are living in the community and want to stay there. The bone of contention is their suggestion of a way to improve the delivery of health services.”

Mrs Skinner said the doctors’ proposal of emergency surgery during the day, instead of at night, had the support of local administrators and the Dubbo community.

“The only people stopping this whole issue moving forward are bureaucrats in the health department’s North Sydney head office and health minister John Della Bosca,” she said.

A spokeswoman for Mr Della Bosca said NSW Health employed more than 100,000 people in NSW.

“It is not appropriate for a minister or the Opposition to get involved in individual salary negotiations,” she said.

Dubbo MP Dawn Fardell said she was concerned about the “confusion and uncertainty surrounding the future of these negotiations”.