A Clinical Services Plan considers data and consultation with communities and healthcare staff to determine necessities and how they will change, which informs how services and infrastructure are developed in all three areas.

Western NSW LHD executive director of operations Mark Spittal said the CSP is an important tool to ensure smaller centres' needs are addressed.

"Dubbo, Narromine and Wellington already have strong connections with each other and we want to build on that by having an integrated CSP," he said.

"A CSP ... [looks] at how health needs are going to change over the next decade or so and describes what services and infrastructure might be required. That then allows us to develop services and seek funding for infrastructure over time.

"This approach means we can ensure local needs are described as a well as look at how the three sites work together to provide a range of services that address the needs of the broader population."

Mr Spittal went on to explain how critical the CSP process is critical considering the challenges the healthcare industry has faced recently and how the delivery of services has changed, particularly through the COVID-19 pandemic.

"Our populations are aging and their health needs are becoming more complex. The challenges of recruiting to our workforce are greater than ever," he said.

"There are also huge changes happening in the way healthcare is provided. More people are being cared for at home rather than having to come to hospital, and, as we've seen through the COVID-19 pandemic, more healthcare is being successfully provided remotely using virtual technology.

"We need to consider how those kinds of changes can be reflected in local communities."

Anyone in the Dubbo, Narromine and Wellington areas, and the surrounding villages, are invited to be part of the consultation process.

They can complete an online survey while pop-up consultations are also scheduled in all three centres in early June. The two smaller centres will also host community drop-in sessions, on June 10 at Wellington and June 16 at Narromine.

"It's great that there are several ways that the community can be included in this process," Narromine Health Service manager Sanu T Joy said.

"[Community input] is really valuable, and it's also an opportunity for the community to learn more about their health, what we do, and how our services all work together."

Wellington Health Service manager Steven Dyer said it's important the smaller centres have 'our own needs recognised', which the CSP to describe and respect their roles in the community.

"Having an integrated plan like this means that we're not planning or operating in isolation from each other, when the reality is that our communities need us to be working together," he said.

There has already been substantial service planning undertaken at Dubbo as part of the Health Service redevelopment, but general manager Debbie Bickerton said there is still more to do.

"Dubbo Health Service will continue to grow alongside our community. Those changes have an impact for all the neighbouring towns and villages and our planning should reflect that," she said.

"The Dubbo community has been great throughout the redevelopment project, so I'm very keen to see its contribution to the building of the integrated CSP.

Dubbo:

Wellington:

Narromine:

Wellington:

Narromine:

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