A NSW upper house inquiry into rural and regional health will include a hearing at Dubbo on May 19 which mayor Ben Shields says is "an opportunity for the people of Western NSW to come and tell their stories".
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On May 18 a hearing will be conducted at Wellington where a petition was signed by 1200 people out of concern that the town with a population of almost 10,000 "has only one doctor working at the hospital".
NSW Labor secured the numbers to launch the Health outcomes and access to health and hospital services in rural, regional and remote NSW inquiry in September.
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It was prompted by allegations of lives lost or put at risk through dysfunction in public hospitals in places such as Cobar and Dubbo.
More than 600 submissions have been received by the inquiry which will conduct a series of eight hearings, beginning and ending at Parliament House.
The first and last hearings will be held in its Macquarie Room on March 19 and July 12, respectively.
Deniliquin will host a hearing on April 29, Cobar on April 30, Lismore on June 16 and Gunnedah on June 17.
Cr Shields used the petition and the testimony of signatories as the "basis" for his submission to the inquiry.
He and Wellington Business Chamber president Jessica Gough gathered the signatures in December.
"Over the last few months I have heard so many stories of people waiting for hours only to be told there is no doctor to see them, or to be in severe pain but forced to drive themselves to Dubbo to get the care they need," Cr Shields said.
"The efforts of Wellington people who signed the petition has delivered them this hearing."
Cr Shields said the Dubbo hear was an "added bonus".
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