A committee will wrestle over where to put a new provincial trauma centre in New Brunswick, and there's worry politics could make the province's health system worse before it gets better.

A report released Thursday reviewing the province's trauma health care system prompted Health Minister Mike Murphy to appoint a committee to create and oversee the trauma network.

According to the report, Saint John Regional Hospital is currently the only facility in the province with the capability. However, health administrators and municipal politicians in Moncton have been lobbying for the centre to be placed at the Georges L. Dumont Hospital. 

University of Calgary health policy professor Dr. Malcolm Brown says the report is headed in the right direction, but it's only a baby step, because the politics of health care is always difficult.

"Different constituent groups want different things or they may want the same thing, but they want the goodies passed in their direction," he said.

Dr. David Marr, speaking to CBC Talkback, agreed with Brown's assessment.

Marr was involved in the development of a cardiovascular care centre in Saint John, and he recalls a similar debate in the 1980s over where to put the centre.

He says it turned into a needless, three-way tug of war between Saint John, Moncton and Fredericton.

"As always the politics got in the way," he said. "I can remember developing the document where all the resources were in Saint John and no other hospital in the province. But at the end of the day it was a political decision that sent the centre to Saint John. And fortunately it was the right decision."

According to Brown, there is no decision to be made; the system will evolve with or without the energies of provincial policy makers supporting it.

The longer people dispute the matter, he says, the longer existing centres will remain inadequate.