4. Executive summary
Executive summary
The Palliative and End-of-Life Care Strategy guides the Queensland Government’s additional investment in palliative and end-of-life care. We heard directly from many stakeholder groups who informed the Strategy’s vision, principles, goals, actions and outcomes.
Our vision
“Queenslanders with a life-limiting illness and their families receive equitable, compassionate, and high-quality palliative care that meets their individual needs, preferences, and goals at the end of life.”
The principles that guide palliative care reform are:
Care is high-quality, evidence-based and meets people’s needs.
Care is equitable, accessible, and culturally safe for all Queenslanders, when and where it is needed.
Care is holistic and integrated across the continuum of care.
Information about palliative and end-of-life care is available to support informed decision-making.
People with a life-limiting illness, their families and carers are supported from the time of diagnosis, with support continuing for families and carers after death.
Life-limiting illness, dying, death, grief, and bereavement are recognised as a normal part of life and are planned for.
Care is person-centred, compassionate, culturally safe, and respectful of the preferences and unique cultural and spiritual needs of people with a life-limiting illness, their families, and carers.
The principles are supported by goals for strategic change to palliative care across the health system. The Strategy’s seven goals are:
Access to quality services - people with a life-limiting illness can access high quality, efficient and integrated palliative care services, at the right time and in the right place.
Information about care – people with a life-limiting illness, their families and carers receive information that enables and supports them to make informed choices about palliative and end-of-life care.
Individual needs and preferences – people with a life-limiting illness receive compassionate and high-quality care that is aligned to their preferences and is respectful of their culture, age, identity, emotional, and spiritual needs.
Support for families and carers – families and carers receive timely and compassionate support while caring for people with a life-limiting illness and during bereavement.
Skilled workforce – care is delivered by a skilled, supported, and multidisciplinary workforce that is accessible for people with a life-limiting illness, their families and carers.
Data and research – research and performance data are used to continually improve palliative care policy settings and services.
Governance and advocacy – state governance of this strategy drives action, accountability, and sustainability of funded services.
Enhancing our palliative care system will take effort over time. This Strategy is an important step in the reform journey.
The Strategy includes 44 actions that will enable, strengthen and connect Queensland’s palliative care services. When delivered, the actions will achieve the Strategy goals.
The actions were directly informed by extensive consultation processes and align to the Queensland Government’s additional investment of approximately $171 million to strengthen palliative care through the following initiatives:
* Develop a new Palliative and End-of-Life Care Strategy
* Grow Queensland Health’s frontline specialist palliative care workforce, supported by a workforce plan
* Invest in community-based services to meet local needs
* Enhance palliative care digital services and telehealth support
* Deliver 24/7 secondary consultation for palliative care practitioners
* Provide education and advocacy about dying, death and advance care planning
High-level outcomes of the Strategy
More Queenslanders with life-limiting illness receive palliative care.
Queenslanders with life-limiting illness receive care in alignment with their preferences.
Data collection and research inform service development, delivery of care, monitoring and quality improvement.
Improved equity of access to palliative care across health system regions and resident populations.
Families and carers are supported while providing care for someone with a life-limiting illness and during bereavement.
Government supports the Strategy through funding, advocacy, coordinated leadership and accountability.
Information about palliative and end-of-life care is available and accessed by Queenslanders with life-limiting illness, their families and carers.
A multidisciplinary, skilled workforce provides quality care to people with life-limiting illness.
The Strategy will ensure palliative and end-of-life care is person-centred, compassionate, equitable and accessible to all Queenslanders. We know that a strong, collaborative effort is needed to deliver good care, and the Strategy responds to this need.
The Strategy is supported by the Queensland Health Specialist Palliative Care Workforce Plan. The plan outlines how we are growing our specialist palliative care workforce across the state to meet community needs.
Separate to palliative care investments, voluntary assisted dying will be available in Queensland from January 2023. This provides eligible people who are suffering and dying with an additional end-of-life option allowing them to choose the circumstances and timing of their death. Having access to both high-quality palliative care and the option of voluntary assisted dying provides dignity, choice, and care to those who are suffering.
Our commitment to palliative care reform has already started and the Strategy will drive better outcomes across the state.