'We have runs on the board': Push For Palliative's Jenny Hazelton says Orange has earned a slice of funding

Orange Push for Palliative president Jenny Hazelton said she was encouraged by last week's Perrottet government announcement which will employ an extra 600 nurses, doctors and support staff across the state and boost hospital capacity for palliative care.

OP4P, which secured and has been supporting a two-bed unit at the Orange Health Service for 18 months, has this year embarked on its long-term goal of establishing a palliative care hospice in Orange.

Mrs Hazelton believes that groundwork should have Orange well-placed for a slice of the funding.

"The figures for the 18 months that the palliative care beds have been open [within the Orange Health Service] have been over 100 per cent subscribed, meaning the surge beds have been used," Mrs Hazelton said.

"We have demonstrated need, we have massive community support so let's see - we urge the government to look in our direction because we've got the runs on the board."

Off the $743m, which is over five years, $93 has been earmarked for the redevelopment and refurbishment of NSW Health facilities, including new dedicated palliative care units at Westmead Hospital and Nepean Hospital.

While that's good news for metropolitan patients, Mrs Hazelton said it was important the bush wasn't overlooked.

"We want to make sure not only the staffing money but the infrastructure money, because they are talking more beds in a variety of places, we want to make sure that the rural areas get a share of this," she said.

Mrs Hazelton said that was particularly important in light of the recent parliamentary inquiry into health outcomes in rural, regional and remote areas which reported only 16 per cent of palliative care specialists worked within those communities despite a third of state's population living in them.

"The staffing stuff is very important and we certain support the increase in palliative care nurses and specialist medicos as well because the rural areas have missed out," she said.

The 100 per cent occupancy rate of the palliative care unit, which has two surge beds, proves Orange's deserved more resources, with Mrs Hazelton saying a worst, making those surge beds permanent.

Pain management services for patients with life-limiting illness, improved services for people with late stage chronic and degenerative conditions and cancer were also included in the funding model. Mrs Hazelton said the planned hospice was tailor-made for these services.

Member for Orange Phil Donato, a long-time supporter of OP4P, said while the funding was welcome, he was cynical of the announcement's timing.

"We've been fighting for this for years and years and then the state government comes, off the back of the federal government being hammered...

"It's welcome but it's long overdue and we really need this money. It's a really important issue in our community. It affects everyone."

Prior to the opening of a unit in the Orange Health Service, OP4P, in partnership with the Local Health District had run a trial hospice unit at Uniting Parkwood in Prince Street.

"The trial at Parkwood worked really well and the feedback was terrific. I was so disappointed for Parkwood and the community when the LHD cut it off," Mr Donato said.

"My concern was that it was almost set up to fail.

"It was framed as trial, the criteria was difficult to work around, it was pretty inflexible... that's probably the cynical side of me again."

While pleased the hospital service is successful, Mr Donato said he would continue to push for a facility away from the hospital setting and is exploring the issue with Uniting, owners of Parkwood.

"A lot of people don't want to go to hospital, I get that, my dad didn't want to go to hospital. Most people want to die at home but if they can't die at home, at lease some type of tranquil setting.

"Ideally we'd love to get Parkwood perhaps repurposed or refinanced to have that off-hospital site location that can provide that level of tranquillity that's appropriate."