The push for a palliative care facility in Orange stepped up this week with multiple calls for state government funding being made and planned.
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Jenny Hazelton, chair of the Orange Push for Palliative Care group, is due to meet Health Minister Brad Hazzard to push the case for funding when he visits Orange on June 4.
In State Parliament the Member for Orange Phil Donato delivered a notice of motion on Tuesday and was due to make a private member statement on Wednesday night, both on the push for palliative care in Orange.
Dudley Private Hospital has offered to make four rooms available to public patients for a dedicated palliative care facility.
On Wednesday the hospital’s CEO Prue Buist called on the state government to fund the program.
“It doesn’t matter where it is located, but there is a real need [in Orange], she said.
Mrs Buist said the Dudley public-private model would be more cost-effective than building a new facility.
She said Dudley was ready to go with rooms to be set aside for public patients and staff available.
“We have a lot of staff who have palliative care experience, they are all very excited about it,” she said.
“Once we get the funding we are ready to go.
“You’ve got to have the community’s interests at heart, we can provide the services for the community.”
She said the Dudley scheme would initially operate for one year but it could be extended.
Mrs Buist said Dudley already offered quality palliative care to private patients.
“Private hospitals tend to be a bit quieter [than public hospitals], it’s just the nature of it.”
Mr Donato said there was a lot of momentum for the issue after Sunday’s Push for Palliative Care Forum at the Orange Ex-Services’ Club.
“There is a community need for it, we’ve got support from GPs, there is support from Dudley, and from Sunday there is support from the LHD [Western NSW Local Health District],” he said.
WNSWLHD executive director of Allied Health and Innovation Richard Cheney told the meeting they had costed the Dudley proposal.
He said the WNSWLHD was building a business case for the public-private palliative care funding arrangement to be presented to the state government.
Mr Donato said Mr Cheney had indicated the cost would be “a couple of million” dollars a year.
“It’s just a matter of getting the money,” Mr Donato said.
“All that is required is the additional resources to be provided by the LHD.
“It is a fairly generous and cost-effective proposal Dudley has come up with.”
Mr Donato said he was happy to lobby the health minister on the LHD’s behalf if it was needed.