The recently-appointed director of radiation oncology at the North West Cancer Centre made the tree change from the eastern suburbs of Sydney.

“I worked at St Vincent’s Hospital, which was within walking distance of where I was living,” Dr Pendlebury said.

“My family and I want a genuine regional NSW lifestyle – my husband keeps bees – so when this position came up, I knew I had to go for it.”

She’s looking forward to living within the community she’ll be looking after.

“What attracted me to Tamworth was the opportunity to lead a team that look after patients within a smaller regional centre, rather than a suburban centre in a bigger city,” Dr Pendlebury said.

“Health care is local, health care is always based around your local community and I anticipate that I will get to know this community.”

Dr Pendlebury didn’t hesitate to take the opportunity to join the North West Cancer Centre because of its reputation among her peers as a centre of excellence.

“The standards at the North West Cancer Centre are highly regarded and many of the locums who filled the position during recruitment speak very well of this facility,” she said.

“The equipment here in this cancer centre is cutting edge, it’s absolutely superb.

“The numbers on the machine are creeping up and that’s a good thing, that means the centre is being well supported by people within the area.”

Tamworth Hospital’s $200m upgrade was another significant factor in Dr Pendlebury’s decision to relocate to the city – she was blown away by the modern facilities the first time she walked the recently renovated halls.

“It actually looks beautiful, it looks like a hospital you could walk into anywhere in the world,” she said.

“It's physically very appealing and that comes with a very positive vibe. You walk around the wards and they’re not old, they’re new. The floor boards are wood and they’re polished, the whole thing looks good.”