‘It’s our time; it’s our turn’ New push for purpose-built hospice at Bloomfield

Orange Push for Palliative has launched a new campaign to see a 12-bed hospice facility built at Bloomfield.

At a public launch on Monday, February 6, Orange Push for Palliative President Jenny Hazelton called on both state and Federal governments to fully fund a purpose-built stand-alone hospice on a greenfield site close to Orange Hospital.

“Our message is: it's time we had a hospice. It is our turn. There is a great inequity of funding across rural NSW and metropolitan areas and it's time things became a bit more equal and had a bit more spread,” Jenny said onsite at Bloomfield on Monday.

The group, founded following a public meeting in 2015, has spent many years advocating for better Palliative care services for Orange and the surrounding districts. Through their efforts, a two-bed dedicated unit was established in Orange Hospital, but it is simply not enough, Jenny said.

“The beds in the hospital only offer end-of-life care, between three and seven days, and so that doesn't include the whole of the palliative care journey,” she said.

“What we want to do is remove palliative care from an acute care hospital, because in the acute care, in hospitals, they are busy, there are buzzers, there's noise, there's trolleys, there's no sense of peace — even though we've tried to ensure that with the palliative care beds…

“[Somewhere] the patients can be with their family in a tranquil, peaceful environment and they can spend their precious time — at whatever stage of their palliative care journey — together without the hassle and the stress.”

The new push for a hospice in Orange comes after the NSW Government announced funding to double the palliative care bed capacity at Tamworth Hospital from six beds to 12.

“Tamworth has six dedicated beds already and now the Government has announced they are going to double that to twelve beds, but we haven't heard what’s happening here,” Jenny said.

“...that's $21 million for a freestanding, green build and that's what we want. And why shouldn't we share resources, get blueprints… so we don't all reinvent the wheel when there’s services that need to be developed?

“We will be going to Tamworth and we will be talking to them and hopefully we will be able to share resources so it's more equitable across the state.”

The preferred site identified by Orange Push for Palliative is a parcel of bushland located south of the Bloomfield Oval, not far from Ronald McDonald House.

The tranquil setting and location close to hospital services make it ideal, Jenny said.

“It's on Crown land… you see the beautiful gum trees, you'll hear that it's so quiet, you'll here the birds

“Losing a loved one… if you've been through it, you will know that it is a rollercoaster and the type of care you get and the end can leave you feeling warm and peaceful or leave you having all sorts of negative, bad thoughts that often remain for a long period of time.

“There can be very different experiences and we want to make sure that people have the opportunity to have positive, and I know that sounds strange, but as positive an experience as it can be.”

Orange barrister, Bill Walsh, backed the push for a local hospice, telling of his family’s recent experience at St John of God Hospital in Perth, during the final days of life of his son, Todd Walsh.

“The treatment that he received in the hospice was just first class. Whereas the oncology ward was busy and noisy, down at the hospice it was tranquil and peaceful,” Bill said.

“It was indeed a very wonderful experience for us, his family, we are just so pleased that he had that opportunity to have the benefit of a hospice…

“I think it is very very important that we, as a local community here, push as hard as we can to have a facility such as they have at St John of God. We need a hospice, and it's not just for the elderly, it is for young people like Todd, who was 40 years of age.”

Orange Push for Palliative has put in submissions to the relevant government ministers as well as NSW Premier Dominic Perrotett and has been contacting all candidates ahead of the NSW Government state election next month.

“We want this to be above politics; this is not a thing to play games with,” Jenny said, asking that people make their voices heard on the issue

“We call on the people of Orange to join us now as we lobby state and federal governments to allocate appropriate funding similar to the recent announcement by the NSW Minister for Regional Health Bronnie Taylor of the allocation of $21 million for a dedicated hospice in Tamworth.

“We want it. It is our turn; it is our time.”