Six new palliative nurses have been promised for the Western NSW Local Health District by the NSW Nationals.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
An additional 100 palliative care nurses will be introduced across NSW, 64 of which have been pledged for regional and rural NSW.
As part of the $45 million commitment there will also be an increase to the number of full-time equivalent palliative care Aboriginal health workers from nine to 18 to ensure every district as a full-time position.
ALSO MAKING NEWS:
Nationals candidate Dugald Saunders said it was an important step towards better end-of-life care.
"There is more to be done, I think, but this at least means that people know there are staff there," he said.
"It feels like this has been understaffed for a really long time and this will make an immediate impact and make a difference to people's lives, albeit at the end of people's lives."
Last year the Cancer Council started a petition calling for the NSW government to fund ten additional palliative physicians, 129 more palliative nurses and culturally appropriate specialist palliative care services for Aboriginal people.
It was part of the push for the NSW Government to announce a $100 million funding boost over four years for palliative care services.
The latest announcement adds $45 million to that funding.
As the Dubbo Hospital grows and the city's health capacity grows, Mr Saunders said he expected there would be a need for more palliative care specialists. An ageing population would also lead to a need for more aged care services, including end-of-life care, he said.
"I'm very keen to make sure end-of-life care is what it needs to be because we are all living life longer and we all want to make sure the loved ones we have are looked after properly," the Nationals candidate said.
"It's not like they're trying to fix all your problems, they're just there to be a reassuring hand and a bit of a shoulder to lean on during hard times."
There will also be increased use of technology to improve end-of-life care for people in rural and remote areas and $10 million for the refurbishment of existing palliative care facilities across NSW.
Deputy Premier John Barilaro said the Nationals were doing everything they could to ensure patients and their loved ones had access to the best quality palliative care in the best possible facilities no matter where they lived.
The exact number of nurses to be assigned to each hospital in the WNSWLHD is yet to be announced.