Dr Martin Kennedy is one of only two specialty palliative doctors.

"My very first patient was in Wagga, and in those days palliative care didn't exist. People used to die in 12-bed wards without their family, there was no real concept of how to properly give painkillers and so I had the experience of bonding with a patient who didn't die well," Dr Kennedy said.

"We have the resources available now to provide people with a good death," Dr Kennedy said.

Dividing his time with Sydney's St Vincent Hospital, he has been involved with Wagga since his residency in 1984.

"Unfortunately, Wagga's unable to get at this stage, a live-in palliative care doctor. So there's two of us who come down and cover three days a week," he said.

The absence of a full-time doctor in Wagga, Dr Kennedy said, is a result of a nationwide shortage.

"Palliative care isn't one of the most popular specialties in medicine, for a number of reasons so there aren't enough of us in general terms," he said.

"I think it's always been difficult getting doctors into the country, but in particular because there's a shortage of palliative care specialists, I think that makes that more pronounced."

Representing Wagga's Palliative Care Alliance, chairperson Professor Gerard Carroll said there are many misconceptions surrounding the processes of end-of-life care, especially as it is a relatively new field in the Riverina.

"Palliative care is not just pain relief at the end. It's far more than that. It's physical, psychosocial, and spiritual help if need be," Professor Carroll said.

The alliance is made up of the Calvary Hospital, the Murrumbidgee Primary Health Network, Health Riverina, and the Forrest Centre.

It was set up eight years ago, and functions through three services: Hospice care at the very end of life, respite care to take some short-term pressures of families, and symptom management for the terminally ill, which Professor Carroll referred to as a short-term hospital stay "tune-up care".

"For example, someone has terrible pain, constipation or nausea. They just need to be stabilized. That sort of scenario is a common indication for admission, specialist assessment, and often people get out of hospital and back home," Professor Carroll said.

There are eight available palliative beds in Calvary Hospital and another 10 at the Forrest Centre Hospice. Frequently at capacity, Professor Carroll estimates that each year there are up to 300 patients admitted.

When overloaded, there is further capacity to transfer patients to Griffith, Young and Albury, and palliative care arrangements can be set up in smaller hospitals around the region as well.

"It's enough for the moment. The occupancy is high. It's serviced the community very well," Professor Carroll said.

Monday's gathering comes at the same time as the re-submission of the Voluntary Assisted Dying (VAD) legislative to parliament.

With the public debate continuing around euthanasia, Dr Carroll said it was timely for those in end-of-life care to be hosting the symposium.

"With the VAD legislation, it's very important for everyone to understand how effective high quality palliative care is in helping control symptoms, in helping alleviate the fear people have with impending death," he said.

"Good palliative, care provides that treatment and people will choose to make their own decisions on whether they support the legislation or not.

"But it's very important that the community and the politicians understand the spectrum of palliative care and how effective palliative care is, as a specialty of medicine for people who have terminal conditions."

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