Gilgandra local Shirley Foran has been undergoing chemotherapy treatment for breast cancer. Her husband, well-known race-caller Bob Foran, normally sits beside her, but on the morning of Thursday, April 23, with nowhere to sit in his wife's treatment room, Mr Foran was relegated to the waiting room.

"I'm devastated by the whole situation. I burst into tears," Mrs Foran said.

"I was there for four hours, which is a long time to sit on your own, particularly under these circumstances."

"It's a very emotional journey to take. Whether it's a loved one, support person or a friend, it's very important to have someone to talk to, or just to know that they are next to you."

Dubbo Hospital general manager Debbie Bickerton said the chairs had presented a threat to workplace safety, and the health service was "currently assessing" their use.

"It has been difficult to get treatment trolleys beside treatment chairs with the visitor chairs in place. Removal of the chairs will allow staff to get equipment beside the treatment chairs and away from the main thoroughfare of the treatment suite," Mrs Bickerton said in a statement.

"The oncology unit will endeavour wherever possible to accommodate a patient's request for a support person to be with them during treatment, including arranging if possible for treatment in another room. Currently support people will need to wait in the oncology waiting room."

"The health service is currently assessing the oncology unit's use of support person chairs. This assessment may recommend changing the use of the computer on wheel terminals to another piece of equipment, such as an iPad. The Health Service regrets any inconvenience caused to patients and their support persons but hopes they understand the measure is for their safety and that of the staff."

Mrs Foran also rang to file a complaint with Dubbo MP Troy Grant.

"I think Troy ought to get up there," Mrs Foran said.

"He's very interested in the hospital, supposedly."

Mrs Foran has called on Mr Grant to tell the community when radiation treatment will be available at Dubbo, with patients currently required to travel to Orange or Sydney.

"It's a very financial and emotional drain to have to go to Sydney, [but] on principle I will not go to Orange," Mrs Foran said.

"They've got two and we've got none."

"I just don't want people to have to walk the road we've walked. That's why I want something done for the bush."

Mr Grant said the oncology unit would be extended "as part of stages 3 and 4 of the Dubbo Hospital re-development".

"The oncology unit will be extended almost doubling in size with the number of chemotherapy treatment chairs increasing to 15," Mr Grant said.

"I can say that there will also be adequate room made available for the provision of seating for a family member or carer to sit with the patient while they are having their treatment."

In January, Mr Grant stated the government would "expect to move ahead with radiotherapy services in the next term of government", which officially began in March.