John Colvin, a former Muswellbrook mayor, has questioned why plans were made to move the local hospital's aged care ward before a social impact statement was conducted.

The 18 bed aged care unit is making way for an expansion of the emergency department, but Mr Colvin fears the beds will eventually be lost altogether.

Concerned residents are signing a petition about the future of aged care in Muswellbrook which will be presented to Hunter Health.

Mr Colvin believes that public transport system in the shire doesn’t provide adequate services for families if patients are moved away from the hospital to centres outside the town.

"You spend a lot of time travelling when you could be with your loved one [and] it’s not inexpensive depending on your age of course," he said.

"The other thing about it is friends and relatives very often visit these people in the nursing home and they would virtually be precluded unless they have a licence as well.

"I believe the community here should not accept and will not accept the closure of these 18 beds."