Labor falls short on palliative care funding

The Andrews Labor Government’s last minute palliative care announcement falls well short of matching the Liberal Nationals $140 million commitment and fails to deliver the additional palliative care support Victorians need, says Shadow Minister for Health Mary Wooldridge.

All organisations that provide palliative care in Victoria know more funding is required but Daniel Andrews’ announcement is clearly not enough to meet the current funding gaps, as well as failing to expand community-based services in metropolitan Melbourne.

Daniel Andrews’ funding for home based palliative care is less than a quarter of the Liberal Nationals commitment and won’t provide families and people with a terminal illness the support, the care and respite they desperately need.

The additional funding also fails invest in education and workforce development or community awareness to ensure all Victorians understand and know how to access palliative care support.

Research indicates that around 70% of Victorians want to live their final days at home surrounded by family, friends and memories, but barely a third of Victorians get to realise this final wish due to inadequate funding for community based palliative care services.

Comments attributable to Shadow Minister for Health Mary Wooldridge:

“Daniel Andrews’ palliative care announcement fails to ensure that Victorians who are dying have a genuine choice to spend their final days at home.”

Background:

Under the Liberal Nationals palliative care policy, Victorians will see:

• A doubling of specialist palliative care medical and nursing services to community palliative care clients, especially in rural and regional Victoria.
•  A 50% funding increase in community palliative care provided in the home and including overnight care, in home respite and carer support and enhanced linkages to after-hours support such as GPs and pharmacists.
• Significant education and workforce development to recruit and train skilled palliative care workers to deliver expanded services, enhance health professionals capacity to have end-of-life conversations and support volunteers.
• A community awareness and engagement campaign to assist Victorians to understand the availability and benefits of palliative care including underrepresented groups such as rural and regional Victorians, children, non-cancer related illnesses, people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds and Indigenous Victorians.
• Establishment of an End-of-Life Ministerial Council, with representation from palliative care and broader health sectors as well as patients and carers, to ensure palliative care is integrated with broader health services and flexibly and effectively meeting the needs of terminally ill Victorians and their families.

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