Strategic plan for palliative care services 1998-2006

The purpose of this strategic plan is to examine the current context of palliative care in South Australia, to identify critical issues and gaps in service delivery in order to develop a document that identifies strategies to improve the current purchasing arrangements for the provision of palliative care. The overall aim is to promote improved access to palliative care services for all South Australians: to ensure the ongoing development of a comprehensive service delivery model; and to plan the adequate resourcing of services. The challenge is to strengthen palliative care services in South Australia to meet future demand, in the face of increasing pressure on every part of the health system.

With research indicating an increase of about 20 per cent in the number of cancer deaths every 10 years in the foreseeable future, palliative care is an area of increasing significance in the health system and one that is fast being asborbed into mainstream services. Since the promulgation of the Medical Treatment and Palliative Care Act 1995, which is committed to good palliative care services, professional and community education programs have raised awareness of palliative care services and at the same time placed them under increasing pressure.

This document provides planning guidelines for the development and enhancement of palliative care services in South Australia. The focus is on equity of access and quality of care, to provide all South Australians with adequate access to and ease of transition within the network of palliative care services: hospital, hospice (inpatient and day patient) and community-based. Planning on a population basis will ensure an equitable distribution of palliative care funding and a comprehensive, systematic and integrated statewide network of high quality palliative care services.