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Read palliative care news and events around Australia. Please note that the links below were current at the time of posting, however links may become obsolete as websites update their content.
NPS Medicinewise has provided a summary of changes made to opioids, non-opioids, a constipation medicine and miscellaneous medicines supports quality use and access for palliative care on the PBS.
Palliative Care Australia (PCA) is inviting the public to submit entries to their 2021 Art competition. This year's theme is Live as well as possible, as long as possible and the deadline is on 25 August 2021.
Palliative Care Australia (PCA) is seeking feedback on the Paediatric Palliative Care Discussion Paper to help inform the national action plan. Children, young persons, family members or carers who have experienced or is experiencing paediatric palliative, including health services and interested professionals, are invited to answer the online questionnaire.
The Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care (ACSQHC) engaged Flinders University's Research Centre for Palliative Care, Death and Dying to undertake a rapid review of the literature to provide an update of the current evidence base that could inform a revision of the National Consensus Statement: Essential elements for safe, high-quality end-of-life care. Recommendations from the study include the need to support Australian hospitals to apply a whole-of-organisation approach to enable quality end-of-life care.
The Commission engaged Flinders University’s Research Centre for Palliative Care, Death and Dying (RePaDD) to undertake a rapid review of the literature to provide an update of the current evidence base that could inform a revision of the National Consensus Statement: Essential elements for safe, high-quality end-of-life care. The publication, Rapid review of the literature: End-of-life care, was released in June 2021 and is available for download.
In May 2021 the Commission released a guide to support implementation of the six actions withing the Comprehensive Care Standard for end-of-life care. The Delivering and supporting comprehensive end-of-life care user guide can now be downloaded from the Commission’s website.
On June 8, 2021 the Australian Government Department of Health released the National framework for advance care planning document outlining ethical considerations and best practice principles to support cross state and territory recognition of Advance Care Directives.
The Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet invite you to complete a 10 minute survey to help improve your experience as a valued user of the Palliative Care and End-of-Life Care Portal on the Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet website.
By completing the survey you will have the opportunity to enter a prize draw to win a $200 Coles Group & Myer gift card.
Begin the survey here.
Open from: 7 June to 20 June 2021
On May 26, 2021 the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) released their report Palliative care services in Australia based on data for the 2019-2020 period. Findings include that the number of Medicare-subsidised palliative care services received by Australians in their own home almost doubled between 2015–16 and 2019–20. You can read the full online report on the AIHW website.
Palliative Care Australia has produced a video to support health professionals in facilitating culturally safe advance care planning for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. The Discussing Choices – Indigenous Advance Care Plans features the Groote Eylandt community and highlights learnings and tips to conduct culturally sensitive discussions around advance care planning and end-of-life.
May 23 - 29 is National Palliative Care Week, an event led by Palliative Care Australia (PCA) that aims to raise awareness about the many benefits of quality palliative care. This year's theme will be “Palliative Care It’s more than you think”. For more information, including on how you can participate, visit PCA's webpage.
The current debate on voluntary assisted dying has prompted discussions about the current state of palliative care provision in Australia. To help these discussions, the PM Glynn Institute has published a new report examining access, equity, and gaps in provision. Among their findings are:
March 22-26 is National Advance Care Planning Week, an initiative that encourages all Australians to make their future health care preferences known. Led by Advance Care Planning Australia, it features resources, community events, and webinars.
Our Director Prof Jennifer Tieman is one of the ambassadors for the week long annual event.
Royal Commissioners, the Honourable Tony Pagone QC and Lynelle Briggs AO presented the Final Report of the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety to the Governor-General, His Excellency, General the Honourable David Hurley AC DSC (Retd) on 26 February 2021. It was tabled on 1 March 2021 and immediately released to the public. The full report and recommendations can be downloaded from the official website.
On 16 February 2021, The Office of the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety released a new paper: Research Paper 20 – The quality of care experience and community expectations prepared by Flinders University and The Caring Futures Institute
This and all other papers are now available for download from the Royal Commission website.
On 09 February 2021, The Office of the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety released a new paper: Research Paper 19 – Does the quality of residential aged care vary with residents' financial means?