The service will close and the building demolished in mid-2020 to make way for an emergency, surgical and critical healthcare (SPIRE) facility.

Canberra Health Services held a public meeting at the Coach House, Batemans Bay, on October 3, seeking views on alternative options and the needs of those who used the service.

David Ashford, of the Batemans Bay Rotary board, said when his son fell off a cliff and ended up in intensive care, the accommodation was "absolutely brilliant".

"We could be right at our son's bedside within minutes," he said.

Mr Ashford also had an unexpected tumour a few years ago.

"Just to be able to go there, get into the unit and do your test and come back (to the accommodation) was just fantastic," he said.

He said many Rotary members used the service.

It was particularly useful when fasting overnight, taking medication the night before or being tested the next day or over two days.

He said the SPIRE facility sounded "spectacular" but "the hospital's priorities are not the same" as those who used the accommodation service.

He asked what would happen to quality of care if the service was removed.

"The administration of that service is really appreciated by the people who use it. The folk are very caring, friendly and efficient," he said.

"It's disappointing it's going. The biggest problem is (its closure) is less than a year away."

He said an alternative site would need to be close the hospital, within walking distance.

"How do you get there at 2am in the morning when you need service?" he said.

While many Batemans Bay CWA members said they were lucky to have friends or family in Canberra, not everyone was as lucky.

CWA executive Fay Ingram said her husband needed a procedure at 7am in the morning.

"There was no way we could have gone from here to Canberra by 7am, so we went the night before and stayed in the accommodation," she said.

"Then he wasn't allowed travel for 24 hours after he had the procedure, so that meant we had to stay two nights.

"We're only on a pension, so we (wouldn't be able to) afford $100 a night, plus meals."

Batemans Bay CWA president Chris Ross-Magus said it was a vital service, "particularly for people down here. It's really useful and it's really going to be missed".

CWA member Nel Donaldson said there was already enough stress.

"When you go through something bad, stress is enough. You don't want to have that over your head aswell," she said.

Another member, Judie Porter, said if there were enough services in the region already, people might not be so concerned.

"The fact that the services here are so poor, you have no choice but to go to Canberra," Ms Porter said.

"We moved from Sydney and every time an issue arises, I'm absolutely astounded at how little there is available down here."

Batemans Bay Soldiers Club president John Macaskill said the accommodation's closure would especially affect "country people", and there needed to be an alternative.

"If they're going to pull the thing down - which they've started ... you've got to try put some accommodation there. But I don't think it will happen," he said.

Mr Macaskill said he used the service a few times and he was lucky now to have family in the area.

You can provide feedback through an online survey at www.surveymonkey.com/r/RASfuture

Canberra Health Services said "your feedback on these future changes will help us find the optimal solutions for residential accommodation services beyond mid-2020".

"All feedback received during the community engagement would be considered by Canberra Health Services to develop the optimal solutions of Residential Accommodation Services."

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