Report: ‘Little confidence’ for future of SA palliative care
A new report into the health of South Australia’s palliative care system has found previously devised aspirations for the services “have not been realised”.
South Australian Minister for Health and Wellbeing Chris Picton has accepted all recommendations of a new report on the current provision of palliative care services in the state.
The report – “Palliative care in South Australia – a Health Performance Council Inquiry” – set out ten recommendations to the Minister to strengthen a system lagging behind what was set out in the 2022-27 Palliative Care Strategic Framework.
“Unfortunately, the aspirations set out in the framework have not been realised,” reads the report’s headline finding.
“The framework does not make connections between strategic goals, objectives and actions. Nor does it provide clarity about SA Health’s intentions for palliative care services.”
Future demand for palliative care services will grow faster than the rate of population growth in SA over the next 20 years because of the ageing of the population, the report found.
By 2023, the number of people who could benefit from palliative care is expected to reach between 13,000 and 15,000 people (32-57 per cent more than in 2020). This will grow to between 15,000 and 21,000 people by 2024 (49-116 per cent more than in 2020).
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It’s a level that the system is currently not equipped to handle, the report found.
“This is a critical finding of this Review,” the report reads.
“The South Australian 2022-27 Palliative Care Strategic Framework gives us little confidence that this growth in future demand has been properly considered in SA Health’s strategy and implementation plans for system improvement.
“Actions must be taken now to address this future growth in demand.”
Additional funding would be required, the report said, as well as “service model changes” to meet future need.
The report also found SA palliative care was characterised by “fragmented data systems and a lack of centrally collected, consistent and reliable data on the vast range of palliative care services that are provided in all settings”.
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“Because of the poor data, and poor access to the data that does exist, it is then difficult to answer critical questions such as who gets access to palliative care and who would have benefitted from palliative care but did not receive it.”
Other findings included that there was an under-reporting of patients accessing palliative care across all sectors.
The report recommends that the minister request the Department for Health and Wellbeing update and publish revised implementation plans for its strategic framework based on this review.
Further, SA Health should “aim to increase equity in palliative care service usage rates”, and that out-of-hospital services be further implemented to “allow consumers to access palliative care in their preferred setting and reduce the need to attend hospital where they would prefer in-home care”.
Picton said he has asked the Department for Health and Wellbeing to provide an implementation plan based on the review’s recommendations, which will include a review of the 2022-27 Palliative Care Strategic Framework.
“Palliative care is an incredibly important service for South Australians with a life-limiting or terminal illness,” Picton said.
“It helps people live as fully and comfortably as possible in the later stages of their lives.
“I commissioned this report to provide a better understanding of palliative care services and needs in South Australia and to examine best practice models around Australia and the world so that we can make our services better.”
Member for Light Tony Piccolo, who attempted to request the report be commissioned by the previous government when the Labor party was in opposition, said he strongly welcomed the report.
“Well-funded quality care services should be available to all South Australians, regardless of their wealth and geography,” Piccolo said.
“This report provides an important blueprint for enhancing palliative care services across the state.”
