Dubbo’s Susie Hill was among those who joined the NSW Cancer Council’s push for more palliative care specialists recently.

Ms Taylor said she couldn’t stop smiling when she heard about the $100 million NSW budget promise for palliative care. It will include funding for six palliative care specialists, 30 nurses, palliative care training for 300 nurses and 300 scholarships to enhance palliative care skills.

Of the six new palliative care specialists, two have been earmarked for the Western NSW Local Health District, which will choose where they are sent. The remaining positions will be allocated by the NSW Department of Health.

State Member for Dubbo Troy Grant said a very important component of the announcement was that regional NSW, and the Orana region, was a key focus for the funding.

Overall, Ms Hill said it was a ‘wonderful beginning’.

“It’ll give peace of mind and relief from the pain when skilled people are able to provide palliative care,” Ms Hill said.

After going through the palliative care experience with her partner, Ms Hill said believed additional specialists would also help ease the guilt of the family members and the ‘shouda, coulda, woulda’ of what more they could have done to help.

“It wasn’t until we were able to access palliative care in Westmead that my partner was able to have his dignity returned,” Ms Hill said.

“He had dignity instead of being reduced to moaning, groaning, begging for help.”

However, Ms Hill said she was still waiting to hear Dubbo had a full-time palliative care specialist.

When the day came Ms Hill said she would be doing cartwheels down the street.

Parliamentary Secretary for Rural and Regional Health Leslie Williams said she wanted nurses and other allied health staff to come forward and apply for the scholarships and the training.

The training would allow more people to access specialist palliative care locally, Ms Williams said.