Why would a private sector health service provider find the Orange region attractive in the future?

The masterplan includes an economic assessment of the existing and future market conditions for private sector-based health services around the Orange Health Precinct at Bloomfield.

Key findings are:

• The broader region serviced by Orange contains around 368,800 people, including 158,650 persons in the primary catchment (including the city of Orange).
• This population of this region closest to Orange is projected to increase by 19,300 people by 2036, to reach 177,950 persons. The wider region is projected to increase to 389,200 by 2036.
• The catchment population has a younger age profile compared with ‘Rest of NSW’, with a higher than average proportion for residents aged 0 – 39 years of age, and a lower proportion age 60 years or older.
• This area has a shortage of medical / health related professionals relative to the needs of the population, with around 60 health/medical professionals per 1,000 residents, compared with 150 across the ‘Rest of NSW’ and 126 ‘nationally’.
• The provision of general practice medical services is below the ‘Rest of NSW’ average, as is the provision of pathology, dental and other allied health services. Overall, demand for GPs and Allied Health services is expected to increase by approximately 12% in the primary catchment by 2036.
• On top of the expected growth in the number of new hospital beds over the next five years (104 beds from the Orange private hospital), there will still be additional demand for 120 to 230 private hospital beds. It’s envisaged that some of the total hospital floor space should be dedicated to teaching, training and research, along with space for the clinical training and non-clinical training of medical professionals.