The Australian health system is a mixture of public and private sector health service providers and a range of funding and regulatory mechanisms. The Australian government has the primary role of developing broad national policies, regulation and funding. The Department of Health and Ageing has identified a number of priorities in developing and maintaining health within Australia.

A number of national projects and initiatives funded outside the National Palliative Care Program are of relevance to palliative care. Some of these initiatives are :

• Closing the Gap
  The national strategy that aims to reduce Indigenous disadvantage
• Encouraging Best Practice in Residential Care (EBPRAC) program
  Aims to improve the level of clinical care for residents in aged care homes
• Life, Hope and Reality 
  Develop and evaluate a Consumer Toolkit to enhance self-care and identification of needs among patients diagnosed with advanced cancer and their families
• Quality Use of Medicines (QUM)
  One of the central objectives of Australia’s National Medicines Policy
• Queensland Health (QH) Care of the Dying Clinical Pathway (CoDP)
  Pathway developed for use within the acute hospital setting for the last hours and days of life
   

 Last updated 14 December 2011