Member for Orange Phil Donato has pushed for a Positron Emission Tomography/Computer Tomography scanner - known commonly as a PET scanner - for Orange and was disappointed when Dubbo received the nod last year as part if its $35m Western Cancer Centre.

At the time Mr Donato called it pure politics the machine went to Dubbo, the seat being held by The Nationals Dugald Saunders, and he wasn't backing away from those comments this week after Orange was again overlooked in NSW Treasurer Matt Kean's big-spending budget.

Mr Donato said support services at the Orange health campus should have made it the logical choice.

"Orange has got Western Care lodge, Orange has got Ronald McDonald House, a vast array of doctors and medical specialists who work in Orange and live in Orange, who would have been able to utilize this machine for the local community," he said.

"It's basically the major western area health hospital for trauma and it's really just a no-brainer. It should have come here in the first place."

Mr Donato said he would continue to push for Orange to have its own PET scanner however a WNSWLHD spokesperson said the district's population, which is around 280,000, meant it did not warrant a second machine.

The spokesperson added radiation oncology services in WNSWLHD operated as a single entity, across two sites, Dubbo and Orange.

"[That's] In order to make the best use of both the highly specialised staff and equipment for everyone in Western NSW," the spokesperson said.

The Western Cancer Centre in Dubbo has been fully operational since early May 2022.

The spokesperson said the PET/CT scanner in Dubbo is one of just 28 in the state and significantly enhanced WNSWLHD's district-wide cancer service.

"Most notably, it reduces the need for patients to travel outside the district to receive life-saving specialist, nuclear imaging," the spokesperson said.

"Dubbo's PET capacity meets the current demand for the service, providing six scans per day, two days per week. Over time, the PET/CT in Dubbo has the capacity to meet expanded demand as required.

"When the machine is not being used for PET, it is used for CT."

The spokesperson said there had been a brief disruption to service due to staff being on leave and the availability of an essential isotope.

"That has been resolved and additional appointments were made available to minimise the impact on patients."

The oncology service will be further enhanced with the upgrade of one of Orange Health Service's two Linear Accelerator (LINAC) machines, which is due to be replaced with a state-of-the-art machine in August.

The District also operates a LINAC machine at the Western Cancer Centre in Dubbo.

"We'll just keep lobbying and pushing and trying to force the government to do something," Mr Donato said.

"There's an election in March next year, although this is the last budget before that, they'll still make a number of commitments and promises leading up to the next election ..."