Tasmania’s peak body for palliative care says a significant and broad package of funding is needed to address the state’s rising life-limiting illness rates and rapidly ageing population.
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Palliative Care Tasmania have used its submission to the 2019-20 State Budget Community Consultation to call on the government to recruit more community nurses.
PCT chief executive Colleen Johnstone said more funding was needed to address the health system’s palliative care shortcomings.
“We desperately more staff on the ground to provide care and services to people in their own homes and communities,” she said.
“People want to remain in their own communities for as long as possible, and our health system needs to support that.
“While many people would like to die in their own home, this is not always possible, but we can certainly do more to keep people at home for longer.”
According to the 2017 Australian Institute of Health and Welfare report, Tasmania has the highest rate of palliative care-related public hospitalisations in Australia, at 36.9 per 10,000 population.
Health Minister Michael Ferguson said the government was committed to delivering more palliative care in the community, including funding $1.5 million over three years to support people who wish to die at home.
“The government has funded several initiatives to deliver on these aims, including three new palliative care clinical nurse educator positions in the North, North West and South, and $132,000 over two years to support PCT to expand the GP education program and assist families in their dealings with the guardianship and administration board,” he said.
Through its submission, PCT have asked the government to bolster the community nursing workforce across the state, as well as upgrade some of the existing palliative care facilities in the public health system.
Ms Johnstone said a number of facilities were long overdue for a refurbishment, while hospitals were “bursting at the seams”.
Mr Ferguson said planing for dedicated palliative care rooms at the Mersey hospital were underway as part of the $35 million redevelopment, due for completion in 2021.
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