Palliative service provision in Australia

Abstract

Palliative services in Australia have grown and evolved rapidly over the past 20 years. They now offer care to people facing life-limiting illness and to their families long before the stage of terminal care. A coordinated, interdisciplinary approach is most useful, but models of care vary greatly across the country. There is still unmet need, particularly among people with non-cancer illnesses and in particular regions. Choices about place of care (community or inpatient setting) may be limited by factors such as funding policies for medications.