Doctors have hit out "heartless and inhumane" delays in palliative care as new figures show reductions to promised funding exceed 30 per cent in most NSW regional areas.
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About $401 million has been committed to palliative care services in the state over the next four years, amounting to an increase from previous years.
But it's still $250 million short of what the former coalition state government had written into the budget.
The change was termed a "re-profiling" of funding by Health Minister Ryan Park on Thursday as the state's doctors raised concern about service impacts.
"Waitlists to see a palliative care doctor for patients who are rapidly approaching the end of life in western Sydney are taking multiple weeks," Australian Medical Association NSW President Michael Bonning said.
"To force people to wait longer is heartless and inhumane."
Dr Bonning said the government needed to "as a priority, adequately fund" the sector.
"When patients reach the stage of palliative care ... they have reached a stage in life when they need and deserve enormous respect and support," he said.
Internal government documents seen by AAP this week show the state's expenditure review committee in 2023 approved a "revised funding envelope".
Those implementing the "savings" would aim to minimise the impact on direct patient services and supports, a briefing note stated.
The changes included $8.1 million in new funding for palliative care delivered by NSW Ambulance and the prison health system.
But funding was cut by more than 40 per cent in the Hunter New England and South Western Sydney local health districts while Central Coast, Illawarra Shoalhaven and Northern NSW lost 36 per cent.
Murrumbidgee, Mid North Coast, Neapean Blue Mountains and Western NSW lost 32 per cent while Southern NSW and Far West also suffered cuts exceeding 15 per cent.
Cuts also occurred for services delivered in children's hospitals.
Former treasurer Matt Kean made the distinction to an election commitment, which would not need a decision by the expenditure review committee.
"This money was funded in the budget papers," the now-opposition health spokesman told reporters.
"The reality is funding has been cut from dying children.
"It's absolutely heartless and it needs to be reversed."
The health minister has previously railed against the suggestion of funding cuts.
"We are increasing the funding by about 6.8 per cent, we're also boosting front line staff ... and infrastructure across regional and rural NSW," Mr Park said in October.
Australian Associated Press
