Royal Far West plans to expand its services to Dubbo

The Royal Far West (RFW) has plans to  expand its services to Dubbo as part of a new agreement with Western NSW Local Health District (WNSWLHD).

Following the announcement of additional funding in the 2024-25 State Budget, RFW has signed an agreement with the WNSWLHD to provide additional paediatric support for children with complex developmental concerns who cannot access these services locally, both at Dubbo Hospital and in the community.

CEO of Royal Far West, Jacqueline Emery said this will assist RFW to continue their  commitment to the health and wellbeing of country children, particularly in western NSW where there is a great need.

“This partnership will enhance our ability to provide early intervention and specialist support to more families and is hopefully the first step in increasing our service delivery in the area,” Ms Emery said.

NSW Health Minister, Ryan Park, praised the work of the RFW.

“Royal Far West does really valuable work for kids and their families in rural and remote NSW.

“Delivering high quality healthcare to young people is critically important to me as Health Minister,” Minister Park said.

As part of the increased services, RFW’s Chief Medical Officer and Senior Developmental Paediatrician, Dr Marcel Zimmet, will dedicate one day per week to seeing children in Dubbo and also support trainee paediatricians at Dubbo Hospital.

This service began this month, and this element of the service is funded by Western LHD.

Additionally, RFW will provide in-community services in Dubbo.

In early April and June, a multi-disciplinary team – including a paediatrician, psychologist, social worker, occupational and speech therapists, as well as RFW school educators – will visit Dubbo to assess and support local families and allied health clinicians.

Around nine families will be assessed during each week, helping address the need for specialist paediatric allied health services and reducing families’ need to travel long distances for care.

This element of the service is funded by the NSW Ministry of Health and RFW.

Ms Emery said this was a significant expansion in western NSW for RFW.

“The Minns Labor Government’s investment of $2.3 million over four years in the 2024-25 State Budget has enabled RFW to continue its vital work in collaboration with NSW Health.

“Our role as a specialist child development service is crucial in supporting the most vulnerable children in NSW,” Ms Emery said.

“With this expansion, we aim to bridge the gap and ensure that geographical location is not a barrier to accessing vital health services.”