News

In 2018 we undertook a new detailed study of palliative care volunteers and volunteer management in NSW.

This report is based on an interview survey of 44 palliative care volunteer managers across NSW. The study found that there were 1,610 active palliative care volunteers in NSW with 615 volunteers in hospital or inpatient settings, 352 in community settings and 270 volunteers working in both. It also found some 373 volunteers within residential aged care facilities.

In all the survey found 44 palliative care volunteer services in NSW. These included 13 volunteer services within Metropolitan Local Health Districts and 27 volunteer services within Regional Local Health Districts.

The Sydney Children’s Hospital Network and St Vincent’s Health Network are each specialty networks and collectively had 3 palliative care volunteer services with some 209 active volunteers at the time of the survey. One residential aged care provider described their volunteers as palliative care volunteers.

The report was completed by Kate Bowman & Alex Huntir from Palliative Care NSW’s Volunteer Support Services Programme. Thank you to all the volunteer managers, serviced development officers and others who contributed to the study.

Click here for more information and to download the report.