Empowering paramedics to support palliative care in the community

An article written by Mostyn Gooley, Advanced Care Paramedic 2, Queensland Ambulance Service

When someone’s health suddenly declines, paramedics are often the first to arrive. For many older Australians living with serious illness or approaching the end of life, that knock on the door incites a fear of being taken to hospital. More and more, paramedics are finding themselves in moments where comfort, dignity, and being able to stay at home matter most.

That’s exactly what our recent study set out to explore: how paramedics can support people receiving palliative care in the community - and what happens when we give them the right tools and guidance to do so.

What we did

We looked at what changed when a new palliative care guideline was introduced for paramedics in a jurisdictional ambulance service. [1] Instead of automatically taking patients to hospital, the guideline encouraged paramedics to focus on what mattered most in the moment: easing pain and breathlessness, and supporting people’s wishes to remain at home. Our study included patients with a median age of 75 years, a group where staying close to family and familiar surroundings often means everything.

What we found

The results were encouraging. After the guideline was introduced, paramedics were:

• treating more people at home rather than transporting them to hospital.
• providing pain relief on the spot, especially for those experiencing distressing symptoms like breathlessness or severe pain.
• supporting families after hours, when accessing other services can be difficult.

This shift not only honoured patient preferences but also helped take pressure off busy emergency departments.

Why it matters

For someone with a life-limiting illness especially nearing the end-of-life, an ambulance trip can be exhausting, disorienting, and sometimes unnecessary. Our findings show that with the right support, paramedics can make a real difference by providing compassionate care right where it’s needed - in the home.

And this is just the beginning. There’s a national palliative paramedicine framework in development, led by Dr Madeline Juhrmann, which aims to build on this work and support paramedics across Australia to take on this vital role with confidence. [2, 3]

Looking ahead

Integrating palliative care into everyday paramedic practice is a powerful step towards making sure people can live and die in the place they choose. With voluntary assisted dying (VAD) now available in parts of Australia, the role and competency of paramedics in palliative, end-of-life and bereavement care is only becoming more important.

The message is clear: when paramedics are empowered with the right guidelines, training, and organisational support, they can deliver compassionate, patient-centred care that truly meets people’s needs.

Author

Mostyn Gooley

Advanced Care Paramedic 2, Queensland Ambulance Service

Monash University, Queensland Ambulance Service