Dubbo residents are being asked by Cancer Council NSW to help persuade Health Minister Jillian Skinner to “end the shortage of specialist palliative care services across the state”.
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Cancer Council NSW’s I Care for Palliative Care campaign asks the state government to fund at least another 10 specialist palliative doctors,129 palliative care nurses and provide culturally-appropriate palliative care for Aboriginal people.
It reports of an insufficient number of palliative care doctors and nurses to meet the needs of the NSW community and that the state has fewer palliative nurses per head of population than elsewhere in Australia.
NSW Health has responded with advice that specialist medical and nursing staff numbers alone are “not necessarily a good measure of the extent to which the needs of people who are dying and their families and carers are met”.
Its spokesman said specialist palliative care services were delivered in a range of settings including hospitals and the home. “They are provided in a networked arrangement, as specialist palliative care services support and complement the care provided by primary care services,” he said. “This allows some patients to have their palliative care needs fully met by a range of primary care and non-specialist palliative care options.” The spokesman said the government was funding 36 more palliative care nurse educator and clinical nurse specialist positions, four nurse practitioner positions specialising in palliative care and seven extra palliative care physician training positions. He also told of “partnerships” fostered to address the health needs and interests of Aboriginal people.
At Dubbo Farmers Market on February 4 and 18, Cancer Council NSW “volunteer advocates” will be collecting campaign pledges. Cancer Council NSW tells of the government acknowledging gaps in specialist palliative care services in regional, rural and remote areas of NSW, and for Aboriginal people.“The NSW government must take action now to close the gap in current palliative care services, and prepare for the increased demand for these services, as more people across the state are affected by chronic illnesses,” said Western NSW office spokeswoman Camilla Thompson.
To support the campaign go to www.canact.com.au/palliative_care_pledge.