News

Palliative Care – An essential strategy for a critical moment in time

This Pre-Budget submission from Palliative Care NSW calls upon the NSW Government to enhance funding, support and resources for palliative care services across our state.

PCNSW hopes that supporting people and their families living with a life-limiting illness, healthcare professionals, volunteers, carers and communities will continue to be a priority for the NSW Government in this 2024-25 Budget.

This submission recommends action across five key areas in the upcoming budget allocation:

1. Increase funding to support dedicated inpatient Palliative Care services across NSW:

PCNSW recommends the establishment and adequate ongoing funding of inpatient palliative care services such as dedicated units or wards in all Tertiary hospitals and expanding this to provide dedicated palliative care beds in hospitals in regional areas to ensure patients have access to high quality palliative care when and where they need it.

2. Recruitment and retention of Palliative Care staff:

With demand for palliative care expected to increase by 50% by 2050, there is an urgent need to address staffing shortages. PCNSW advocates for expanding current initiatives and introducing paid compulsory work placements as part of all undergraduate degrees in health to attract and retain healthcare workers in palliative care.

3. Ensure accessibility of Palliative Care support for those under the age of 65 with a disability associated with a life-limiting illness:

PCNSW acknowledges the challenges in navigating the interface between disability, health, and aged care systems. Recommendations include clearer delineation of responsibilities between state and federal governments as well as better collaboration, and improved funding of accessible support for this demographic.

4. Enhancing the health-aged care interface:

PCNSW supports continued investment in shared funding models like the Comprehensive Palliative Care in Aged Care Measure to improve collaboration between health and aged care systems. Additionally, scalable programs focusing on hospital avoidance, such as specialist Palliative Care consultation services, the Geriatric Flying Squad, the GRACE program and virtual care resources, warrant further funding and expansion.

5. Boosting Palliative Care volunteers services:

PCNSW calls for dedicated Palliative Care Volunteer Manager positions and additional funding to bridge existing gaps across Local Health Districts (LHDs).

The detailed recommendations have been designed in consultation with our membership base and stakeholder networks.

It is imperative that the Government build upon and expand the current funding and existing programs that support people with a life-limiting illness in NSW to meet the current and future needs of our state’s residents.

Add to our advocacy by completing the form below and share this submission with your network or contact your local member. Your support matters.

Download the full version of the PCNSW Pre-Budget Submission 2024-25 by clicking here.

Click HERE to endorse the PCNSW Pre-Budget Submission 2024-25 Today!