And the new network’s chief executive has conceded there are several programs the Medicare Local used to run that may not be continuing.

But chief executive Matt Jones and interim regional manager Cate Stevens both maintain the transititon has been smooth, with no interruption to patient services.

The country’s 61 Medicare Locals this week closed as they transitioned into 31 PHNs on July 1; the Hume Medicare Local has been split in the Murray PHN on the Victorian side (including Albury) and the Murrumbidgee PHN on the north.

The Border Mail reported last week that patients and health workers were in limbo, with uncertainty around which programs would be funded under the PHN, while recruitment for the Murray PHN’s Albury office was still under way.

The employee, who asked not to be named, said staff were this week still unsure if they would have contracts to continue their work, and others still did not know if they would have jobs in the new network.

“People couldn’t receive emails because their email addresses were shut down,” the employee said.

The employee said they only found out on Tuesday, June 30, their contract was not being rolled over.

“Everyone was continuing to work as normal, because that’s what we were told to do, and suddenly we find that contract isn’t continuing,” they said.

“It’s been very distressing for staff who have really tried to maintain good staff relations until the end, but they’ve been treated appallingly.

“The way this has been handled has caused real distress to real, valuable health workers.”

The employee said the Medicare Locals and PHNs had done their best in difficult timeframes, and said the fault lay with the federal government.

Contracts for the management of most PHNs, including Murray and Murrumbidge, were only signed in June, leaving chief executives like Mr Jones, at Bendigo, only weeks to organise the new networks.

Mr Jones said all direct patient services — likes allied health, diabetes education, dietitians and all clinical and mental health services — had transferred to the PHNs and were provided without disruption.

Programs supporting the primary health care system, however — such as indigenous health, or coordination between providers — are in doubt.

Mr Jones said “most” other programs were transferring across but could not say specifically which ones would not.

He said the Medicare Locals and PHNs were two different organisations, with different goals and not all of Hume Medicare Local’s programs fit into the new objective.

“It will emerge in time but it’s not yet clarified,” he said in respect to the programs that would be lost.

He said staffing needs and program delivery at PHNs were quite different to Medicare Locals, and not all staff or previously contracted health workers were needed or fit into the new network.

He confirmed interviews for up to eight positions at the Albury office were still taking place last Thursday and Friday and successful applicants told on Monday and Tuesday.