Have your say on the draft Clinical Services Plan for Orange

The draft Clinical Services Plan (CSP) has been developed following extensive consultation with staff, community, and key stakeholders and partners, providing a framework for the services, models of care and infrastructure which may be required to meet the community’s health needs into the future.

Mark Spittal, WNSWLHD Chief Executive, said further input from the community, as well as clinicians, staff and stakeholders, is vital to ensure the draft CSP appropriately reflects the community’s changing health needs and priorities.

“The Clinical Service Plan for Orange will focus on how the community’s needs may change over the next decade and will help us consider what services and infrastructure may be needed, including Mental Health, Drug and Alcohol services,” Mr Spittal said. 

“Input from our community and staff has been crucial to understanding local health needs, and we have also utilised a range of data to develop the draft plan, such as population growth, to help forecast aspects like future demand. 

“Now that we have a draft CSP to act as a foundation, it’s important that we come back to our staff, key partners and the community to ensure our planning reflects their needs, before the plan is finalised later in the year.”

Maryanne Hawthorn, WNSWLHD Executive Director of Strategic Reform, Planning and Partnerships, said the draft CSP highlights five key priorities, which include; improving access and integration of services, strengthening acute and specialist care, and expanding options outside hospital settings.

“The key priority areas of any CSP are reasonably broad and they outline our strategic intent in the development of clinical services across the next 10 years. We have identified specific service directions aligned to short, medium and long-term goals,” Ms Hawthorn said.

“These plans also help us as a District to determine and identify what additional funding may be required to deliver the necessary supports to implement these priorities, including workforce, models of care, partnerships or capital infrastructure. 

“It’s also important to remember Orange Health Service’s role as a regional referral hospital, in context of our network. An important aspect of this CSP is identifying how the hospital can work in connection with our other services and facilities. 

“Anyone in the Orange community, or surrounding areas, who would like to provide input is able to review the draft CSP on our Engage Western NSW platform, where they can also fill out a survey and share their feedback.”

For more information or to have your say on the draft CSP for Orange Health Service, visit: https://engage.wnswlhd.health.nsw.gov.au/orange-clinical-services-plan

The online survey will close on Friday 10 October 2025. The new, 10-year CSP for Orange Health Service is expected to be finalised and released toward the end of 2025.