And health officials have promised improved maternity, intensive care and orthopaedic services for the Bathurst hospital, along with budget increases to cope with a growing population.

The Western Advocate also reported this week that a building program was on the agenda for Bathurst to deliver a new ward.

The Bathurst Health Service does have a lower overall peer rating (C1, district group 1) than Orange (B2, major hospital group 1) and Dubbo (B2, major hospital group 2), but WNSW LHD chief executive Scott McLachlan said the facility was being well resourced.

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"Over the last five years we have seen a 42 per cent increase in the budget for Bathurst which is double the increase in Orange over the same period," Mr McLachlan said.

"There has been a couple of million to increase the ICU including dedicated ICU medical staff and nursing staff which allows us to keep more sick people in Bathurst rather than transferring them, and we've increased the role delineation in maternity services which means babies born earlier [gestation] can be born in Bathurst and kept here."

Mr McLachlan said additional funding was being made available for orthopaedic services in Bathurst and once all roles were filled, about 80 per cent of all orthopaedic presentations would be treated in Bathurst rather than 80 per cent being sent to Orange, as is currently the case.

Health district board chairman Scott Griffiths said access to orthopaedic services, in particular, had been a focus of a meeting between health officials and Bathurst's health lobby group, headed by Councillor Warren Aubin.

Mr Griffiths welcomed the lobby group's input, saying it was important for local people to take an interest in their hospital.

"I think it's helpful because if everyone just went about their business we wouldn't be getting a good representation of what the community is thinking," Mr Griffiths said.

"We will meet with the lobby group again in the new year and I don't have a problem with groups like that voicing their concerns."