Health Minister Brad Hazzard says a decision on providing about $2 million for a palliative care unit in Orange will be made in the next two months.
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Campaigners were disappointed when the funding was left out of Tuesday’s state budget.
However, Mr Hazzard has said he favoured the project but needed advice from health department officials before committing funds.
“By July-August we should be able to make some announcement. From the ministerial profile I am looking very favourably at it, but I just need to have the professional [input].”
Mr Hazzard said while it hadn’t been included in the budget there was other funding available to be used.
The Orange proposal is for public and private palliative care patients to have access to four rooms at Dudley Private Hospital.
“The funding for that will be accessible if the decision we make is, on the balance, the way we would proceed,” he said.
Mr Hazzard said there were other public-private schemes operating in NSW.
“That’s not Robinson Crusoe,” he said.
Parliamentary Secretary for Western NSW, Rick Colless, said he believed the funding would be provided.
“Last time I spoke to the Health minister he indicated that palliative care wouldn’t be included in the budget,” he said.
“He understood the importance of the issue. He said he would have a look at it later on, sometime later in the year. A positive response, but no commitment. I’d be surprised if it doesn’t get funded,” Mr Colless said.
“We’ll keep working on it.”
Member for Orange Phil Donato said he was disappointed by the decision.
“After 10,000 people in our community signed a petition there is significant need and demand.”
An investment of more than $3 million for new palliative care specialists for nine rural and regional areas was announced in Dubbo at the end of 2017.
The Far West Local Health District was also among the nine health districts where the specialist position would be funded.
The funding meant the Western NSW Local Health District would receive a new palliative care specialist to improve care and choices for patients.