These days if you ring the two medical centres in town you will be told either their books are closed or the first appointment available is in late October.

Or you can go up to the hospital.

This is the plight Young now faces with a very real shortage of rural general practitioners.

The town has lost three doctors in the past three months - one to retirement and the other two to practices outside Young. 

And it is only going to get worse, with another long-serving doctor Paul Sevier set to retire in late November and a registrar leaving at the end of the year.

Dr Peter Hamilton-Gibbs, who’s been based at the Boorowa Street Medical Centre in Young for 43 years, wants to retire, but can’t because of the current instability.

He’s also supposed to be working three days a week, but is working six and seeing upwards of 30 patients per day.

Patients unable to see their doctors locally are travelling to nearby towns for appointments.

Others are concerned their health is at risk as annual check-ups and scripts are delayed due to the shortage.

Council, aware of the urgency of the matter, is attempting to fast track development of a new medical centre for the town - but according to mayor John Walker - that reality is still 12 months away.

The mayor said the town was in crisis mode.

“I know there’s a problem - we’ve got half the doctors we used to have in town and we’re treating the matter with a great degree of urgency,” he said, “we’re meeting regularly to get plans for the new medical centre finalised.”

And he confirmed that the planning stages for the complex, which is likely to be situated on the site of the former retirement village, were well advanced with a developer ready for an immediate start to building.

“Nothing is confirmed - it would still have to go through council - but there’s definitely strong interest there from someone wanting to build pending negotiations with local providers around which direction they’d like to take,” he said.

Those negotiations are currently in the hands of the eight member multipurpose centre working committee consisting of Cr Walker, deputy mayor Ben Cooper, Young Shire Council’s general manager Peter Vlatko and planning, strategic and environment services director Craig Filmer, medicos Dr Tom Douch, Dr Bill Meagher, Young and District Medical Centre manager David Kay  and pathologist Peter Kirkwood.