Whistleblower doctors in regional NSW have won a long-running campaign to ensure they can continue to deliver "world-class" care to patients.
The NSW government has announced $9.9 million in the state budget for robotic surgical equipment at Orange Health Service in the state's central west, with $2.7 million allocated in the next financial year.
The budget papers show an estimated completion date in 2028.
The announcement has been welcomed by Orange Health Service's head of cancer services and cancer clinical trials unit, Rob Zielinski.
"A robot is not asking for something experimental or cutting edge," Dr Zielinski said.
"A surgical robot is now standard equipment for cancer care in hospitals across Australia.
"Our community deserves the same standard. Not second best. Not 'good enough for the regions'. The same."
He said the announcement would mean regional cancer patients would be spared having to travel to Sydney for this treatment.
"A surgical robot means cancer patients across our entire region can receive world-class surgery without leaving home," he said.
The budget windfall comes 13 months after senior clinicians in the area raised serious concerns about the state of health care in the region.
The hospital's director of surgery, Rob Knox, and head of urology, Clair Whelan, revealed in May 2025 that doctors had been asked to reclassify cancer surgeries to avoid breaching waiting list targets.
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