I AM writing to address the assertions by our local member Andrew Gee in the palliative care article in your paper on Thursday, August 27 “Put pen to paper for palliative”).
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Firstly, Mr Gee is correct in stating that palliative care is a topic which should be above partisan politics.
The Orange Push for Palliative Committee are in full agreement with him on this matter. It is no mere coincidence that our committee and supporters represent a broad range of political opinion. Our collective even includes members of his own party.
In this instance, however, individual political loyalties have been replaced by a collective commitment to ensure the delivery of a multi-partisan outcome for Orange and district; a fully funded and adequately resourced palliative care service.
Secondly, Mr Gee draws a long bow when he attempts to make a tenuous connection between the activities of the Orange Push For Palliative Committee and the forthcoming 2016 local government elections.
We would like to reassure Mr Gee that we are fully cognisant of the fact that the funding shortfall in regional palliative care services can be attributed directly to the budgetary shortcomings of his government.
As a consequence we will not be asking Orange City Council to act as a supplementary source of funding for palliative care services. We will, instead, continue to agitate for NSW government funding of adequate regional palliative care services for all, regardless of their political loyalties.
Thirdly, Mr Gee asserts there has been a significant “bolstering’’ of palliative care services in Orange. As evidence he offers the provision of one extra specialist nurse and the imposition of the additional burden of palliative care medication supervision on an already stressed and overworked paramedic force.
We consider these unsatisfactory and stopgap measures to be more akin to “finger in the dyke’’ remedies rather than significant “bolstering’’ of the service.
Regardless of who they vote for regional taxpayers deserve, and rightly expect, to be the recipients of 21st-century health outcomes.
We sincerely hope that Mr Gee commits to a deeper consideration of the needs of regional voters as he continues his protracted fight to ensure the provision of adequate palliative care services for the people of Orange and district.
Bernard Fitzsimon
Publicity officer, Orange Push for Palliative Committee