Palliative Care Victoria (PCV) ended a busy year of activity and advocacy by hosting an important palliative care leadership event with the Department of Health and specialist community palliative care services from across Victoria.
Professor Euan Wallace, Secretary, and Jennifer Bliss, Executive Director, representing the Victorian Department of Health met with CEO’s and Board Chairs of community specialist palliative care services across Victoria. The meeting provided the opportunity to build a collaborative approach and engage in working collectively on a clear direction for palliative care in Victoria into the future.
Violet Platt (CEO, PCV) provided an overview of the findings of the 2022 Palliative Care Victoria Survey ‘The Sustainability of Palliative Care in Victoria’ which highlighted the increased demand for services, and the need to begin planning now for the palliative care workforce that is required into the future. This information was set within the context of the known projected 50% increase in palliative care demand across Australia by 2035.
Board Chairs, Kelly Rogerson (PCV) and Margaret Stewart (Eastern Palliative Care) framed the challenges and opportunities of providing specialist palliative care in the community, highlighting the success of care delivered during and after the pandemic.
Professor Wallace highlighted the Departments intentions for strategic and operational planning. This will deliver a Victorian health care system that achieves the best health and wellbeing for all Victorians. The Department aims to:
- develop a system that is responsive to people’s needs
- improve every Victorian’s health status and experience
- expand service, workforce and system capacity
- increase the system’s financial sustainability and productivity
- implement continuous improvement and innovation
- increase accountability and transparency
- utilise e-health and communications technology to improve outcomes for patients and all Victorians.
Following a robust discussion, all present agreed there is much to be gained from working collaboratively in 2023 to update the Victorian palliative care and end of life framework, establish value-based healthcare measures for palliative care services and develop a workforce plan to future proof palliative care in Victoria.
Meeting attendees pictured above (L-R)
- Adj A/Prof Kelly Rogerson, CEO, Palliative Care South East & Chair, Palliative Care Victoria
- Adj A/Prof Violet Platt, CEO, Palliative Care Victoria
- Prof Euan Wallace, Secretary, Department of Health
- Jeanette Powell OAM, Chair, Goulburn Valley Hospice Care Service
- Jennifer Bliss, Executive Director, Department of Health
- Mark Smith, Chair, Peninsula Home Hospice
- Andrew Howard, CEO, Ballarat Hospice
- Margaret Stewart, Chair, Eastern Palliative Care
- Wendy Ross, Executive Manager, Goulburn Valley Hospice Care
- Janet Philips, CEO, Peninsula Home Hospice
- John Richardson, Chair, Banksia Palliative Care Service
- Gaylene Coulton, CEO, Eastern Palliative Care
- Emeritus Prof Margaret O’Connor AM, Chair, Palliative Care South East
- Jonathon Mortimer, Chair, Melbourne City Mission
- John Doran, Senior Manager, Melbourne City Mission Palliative Care
- Michelle Woods, CEO, Banksia Palliative Care Service
To access PCV 2022 survey findings "The Sustainability of Palliative Care in Victoria" visit: https://bit.ly/2022SustainabilityPCinVic