Changes have been made in the name of safety and security, after a fatal stabbing at a public hospital in 2011.

An inquest has heard from safety and mental health authorities in the wake of an incident at the Bloomfield Public Hospital in Orange, when a nurse was stabbed with a knife stolen by a mentally ill patient.

Workcover inspections revealed loose security around some keys and knife storage protocols. Changes have been made including more locks between patient and kitchen supplies, and staff now carry keys on their person rather than keeping them in drawers.

A risk manager for the Western New South Wales Local Health District says a new workplace safety checklist for mental health facilities has been issued state-wide, featuring an additional focus on locking away knives and sharp objects.

Workcover has also provided risk training for staff.