THOSE pushing for better end-of-life care in Tamworth were "encouraged" by the Labor government's announcement a new palliative care unit promised by the coalition will continue, but some details remain uncertain.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
or signup to continue reading
While $93 million has been committed for palliative care units across NSW, including Tamworth, specific funding allocations are unknown.
Before the change in state government after the March election, the coalition promised $21 million for a stand-alone palliative care unit.
Specific funding allocations for the Labor state government's palliative care services won't be detailed until the state budget in September, NSW regional health minister Ryan Park said.
Friends of Nioka vice president Bryan Singh said the amount of money previously promised is necessary for the size of the building which is needed, and he would be "disappointed" with less.
"We'll only get one shot at doing this, and will be stuck with that for the next 30 years," he said.
"Tamworth's population is growing dramatically, and it's ageing, so the demand for palliative care is increasing."
READ ALSO:
Palliative care should be like a revolving door, Mr Singh said, with patients nearing their end-of-life heading to their own homes after treatment.
Therefore more beds and a respite service is needed, he said.
"What we would really like is a respite service for those people so they can just go into the unit for a couple of days, give their family a break, and then go back home while continuing their end-of-life journey," he said.
With just six available beds at Nioka, there is frequent overflow into surrounding wards.
The Friends of Nioka have been lobbying for years, and there is a decent amount of community expectation on the facility, Mr Singh said.
"We were a little uncertain with the new government," he said.
"All the indications from government at the moment are that they're going to honour those commitments."
Member for Tamworth Kevin Anderson welcomed the news that Labor has agreed to continue with the delivery of the new unit, "which I know is so important to the future of palliative care for patients in the region".
Work is slated to get underway in 2024, following community consultation.
Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can continue to access our trusted content:
- Bookmark northerndailyleader.com.au
- Make sure you are signed up for our breaking and regular headlines newsletters
- Follow us on Twitter
- Follow us on Instagram
- Follow us on Google News
Eva Baxter
Eva is a Northern Daily Leader journalist based in Tamworth. She covers health, politics, energy, arts & entertainment, business, community, and a bit of everything else.
Eva is a Northern Daily Leader journalist based in Tamworth. She covers health, politics, energy, arts & entertainment, business, community, and a bit of everything else.
