GUNNEDAH hospital's boss has apologised to the family of the late Catherine Turner for using the hospital's chapel as a storeroom.
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Mrs Turner's family was distressed to discover the honorary chapel was being used as a storeroom during renovations.
"This is what my grandmother spent years campaigning, fundraising, and spending her own time, sweat and tears working for," Shanon Pirchmoser wrote to Hunter New England Health on social media.
"A place where patients and people in need of retreat could find peace, spend quiet time, reflect and meditate ... [I] think it is utterly disrespectful that this has happened."
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Mr Pirchmoser said the family brought it to the attention of the hospital and in a statement to the NVI, health service manager Gillian Eccleston said the hospital has since removed all the equipment.
"Gunnedah Hospital has been undertaking refurbishment works since March this year," she said.
"To ensure essential paediatric equipment could be easily accessed after hours if required, the hospital authorised the use of the chapel space for temporary storage in order to continue to manage paediatric patients during the works.
"Once we were made aware of the family's concerns, we acted immediately and have removed all equipment from the chapel."
The paediatric equipment that had been stored in that space will be returned its normal area.
Mrs Turner's grandson Mitchell Evan said the hospital could have found "appropriate storage areas elsewhere".
"The chapel is named for my grandmother and it's completely unacceptable that they were using a room for prayer as a store room," he said.
"The chapel needs to be able to be accessed for its intended purpose."
Ms Eccleston said the chapel "will be closely monitored to ensure this situation does not reoccur".
"We sincerely apologise for any upset this has caused the family," she said.