They involved State Member for Dubbo and Deputy Premier Troy Grant, federal Member for Parkes Mark Coulton, Western NSW Local Health District chief executive Scott McLachlan and Dubbo Hospital general manager Debbie Bickerton.

Mr Grant confirmed the talks after announcing that Health Infrastructure (HI) had called for tenders for the construction of another floor on the new clinical services building at the hospital.

The building was constructed under the hospital’s $91.3 million stage one and two redevelopment.

Construction of the extra floor to accommodate a “contemporary and expanded surgical inpatient unit” will mark the start of the hospital’s $150 million stage three and four redevelopment.

Stage three and four redevelopment will also deliver a range of new facilities including an emergency department, coronary care and stroke unit, and cardiac catheterisation laboratory.

Hospital staff are being consulted by HI as it determines the schematic design of stage three and four redevelopment.

It will be unveiled “in coming months” after which detailed design planning and consultation will continue to determine the layout of each room and clinical space.

Mr Grant said the talks last week were “about the location of the cancer centre in the planning and schematic design process happening as part of stage three and four redevelopment”.

“I then met with HI in Sydney on Wednesday regarding the same and we hope to release more details in November,” he said.

The federal government made an election commitment of $25 million to the integrated cancer centre supported by a petition of more than 46,600 signatures.

Mr Grant said the state government’s contribution to the centre was not yet a “line item in the budget”.

“But it is a commitment and we are moving ahead knowing it’s happening anyhow,” he said.