She will speak at a function open to the public at Ulladulla ExServos’ Club on February 24, to highlight the need “to properly fund palliative care wherever it is needed, including additional funds to support training of palliative care workers”.

“We have collected 80 thousand handwritten signatures on a [statewide] petition to the NSW Government,” said Dr McMaster, who founded Push for Palliative two years ago.

Purpose-built facilities soon to be constructed at Milton Hospital will include two palliative care-equipped rooms at Milton Hospital, with adjoining live-in spaces for patients and loved ones to have privacy and cope more comfortably during the difficult end-of-life stage.

However Dr McMaster, supported by Milton-Ulladulla Hospital Auxiliary president Narelle Ober said the region needs more.

Backed by petitioners, they are calling for more specialist practitioners, carers and services in regional and rural communities.

“This is where they are most lacking,” said Dr McMaster.

She believes the recent traumatic case of Fernanda Troncia and her partner Ron White, whose corpse was insensitively presented by the Worrowing Heights facility where he died, highlights an urgent need for specialist expertise in all facets of palliative care.

Additionally, Ms Troncia faced the financial burden of $30 community transport bus trips once or twice a week from Ulladulla to Worrowing Heights to visit Mr White towards the end of his life until a Cancer Council subsidy lowered it to $10, and was reliant on friends on other days.

At an earlier stage when he was in a Berry hospice she was unable to see him at all.

Push for Palliative’s petition to the Legislative Assembly through Shelley Hancock as Speaker said “gross deficiencies exist in the availability of palliative care services for adults and children in many parts of the State… in acute hospitals, aged-care facilities and for patients in their own homes”.

“There are inadequate funds available to support the training of sufficient palliative care workers (nursing, medical and allied health) to service the existing and rapidly increasing need,” the petitioners said.

Push for Palliative groups have so far formed in Taree, Dubbo and Orange and in addition Dr McMaster has organised 52 individual ambassadors, both in regional NSW bordered by Byron Bay, Tamworth, Broken Hill and Albury, and in metropolitan areas.

Narelle Ober and Joan Hayward lead the way as the initial ambassadors for Milton Ulladulla and Mrs Ober is confident “more people will put their hands up once they hear Yvonne McMaster speak”.

Ms Hayward is also an advocate for the NSW Cancer Council and their liaison with Shelley Hancock in her role as Member for South Coast.

The Cancer Council, also seeing the need for better access to palliative care has made it their major advocacy objective this year.

Dr McMaster’s address at the ExServos on February 24 from 2pm will be free and open to everyone with an interest in the topic.

To ensure enough seats are provided, please call Narelle Ober, 4455 3245 or 0414 553 247.