About Palliative Care Australia
About Palliative Care Australia
What is Palliative Care Australia?
Palliative Care Australia is the national peak body for palliative care.
Palliative Care Australia (PCA) represents all those who work towards high quality palliative care for all Australians who need it. Working closely with consumers, our Member Organisations, national health stakeholders, and the palliative care workforce, we aim to improve access to, and promote the need for, palliative care.
PCA believes high quality palliative care should be available and accessible to people living with a life-limiting illness when and where they need it. PCA supports the health, aged care and community sector workforce who all have a role in providing palliative care to people with a life-limiting illness and supporting carers and loved ones.
PCA supports the work of specialist palliative care teams who provide care and support for people with more complex symptoms and who educate and support other professionals in their care of people with life-limiting illness.
Palliative Care Australia launched in 1998, developing from the Australian Association for Hospice and Palliative Care Inc which started in 1991.
What is palliative care?
Palliative care is high-quality health care and support for people living with a life-limiting illness and their families. Palliative care helps people to live as well as they can by managing pain and symptoms to ensure their quality of life is maintained as the illness progresses.
Palliative care identifies and treats symptoms and issues associated with life-limiting illness which may be physical, emotional, spiritual or social. Palliative care is a family-centred model of care, meaning that family and carers can also receive practical and emotional support.
Palliative care is about maintaining quality of life. The aim of palliative care is neither to hasten nor postpone death. Rather, the focus is on living as well as possible, for as long as possible.
Palliative care in Australia is delivered through a mix of public hospitals, specialist palliative care services, general practice, aged care, community nursing, and not-for-profit organisations including hospices in some states and territories.
There is no single national model of palliative care in Australia. Care is delivered through a mix of state and territory health services, community providers and private specialists, which means access, availability and out-of-pocket costs can vary significantly depending on where a person lives.
Australians may receive palliative care in:
- their own home
- residential aged care
- hospitals
- inpatient palliative care units
- hospices or other specialist facilities
- outpatient clinics
- community health services.
For many people, care is provided by a combination of GPs, nurses, allied health professionals, aged care workers and specialist palliative care teams. This can include clinicians who provide psychosocial support like counsellors.
Australia’s palliative care system has traditionally focused on hospital, community and home-based care, with specialist inpatient services forming one part of the broader system.
Palliative care funding comes from both the Commonwealth and state and territory governments.
The Commonwealth funds:
- primary care through Medicare
- aged care programs
- medicines through the PBS
- elements of home care and community support
- national palliative care initiatives and workforce programs
State and territory governments primarily fund:
- public hospitals
- specialist palliative care services
- inpatient units
- community palliative care teams
- and, in some jurisdictions, hospice and other specialist end-of-life care services.
This split funding model can make the system difficult for families to navigate and can contribute to gaps in access and coordination. Families are encouraged to speak with their GP, treating team or local palliative care service to better understand what services are available in their area and what costs may be involved.
What does the 'orange heart' represent?
The ‘orange heart’ has been seen and used universally as a symbol for care and friendship. It is seen as being ‘heart-warming and encouraging’ and used as a symbol of ‘always being there for me’ – values that connect with palliative care.
Since 2024 it has been seen as the symbol of the palliative care sector.
The eight ‘sparks’ coming from the heart give it a sense of motion, a beating heart that points to the life palliative care supports; the sparks also represent Australia’s eight states and territories and the role we all play in the delivery of palliative care.
Palliative Care Australia and our members around the country feel that the orange heart captures and represents the warmth and spirit of the palliative care sector, the connection that health professionals and volunteers share with patients and families and the close bonds that form during each person’s unique palliative care journey.
You can purchase orange heart lapel pins to show your support.
Governance
Information about Palliative Care Australia’s board directors, past presidents and chairs and organisational structure can be found under ‘Governance’.
Our Purpose
Palliative Care Australia leads a unified voice to strengthen our collective impact towards excellence in palliative care.
Our Vision
We see a world where quality palliative care is available for all, when and where they need it.
Our work is aligned with the priorities in the National Palliative Care Strategy.
Strategic Documents
- Palliative Care Australia Strategic Plan 2026-2029
- Palliative Care Australia Strategic Direction 2022-2025
- Palliative Care Australia Roadmap 2022-2027
- KPMG Report 2021 – ‘Information gaps in palliative care’
- KPMG Report 2020 – ‘Investing to save’
- National Palliative Care Strategy 2018
- Reconciliation Action Plan 2023 – 2025
- Palliative Care Australia Limited Constitution 2024
Annual Report/Impact Story & Financial Statements
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- Palliative Care Australia Annual Report 2024 – 2025
- Palliative Care Australia Annual Report 2023 – 2024
- Palliative Care Australia Financial Statements 2023 – 2024
- Palliative Care Australia Impact Story 2022-2023
- Palliative Care Australia Financial Statements 2022-2023
- Palliative Care Australia’s Annual Report 2021-2022
- Palliative Care Australia’s Annual Report 2020-2021
- Palliative Care Australia’s Annual Report 2019-2020
- Palliative Care Australia’s Annual Report 2018-2019
- Palliative Care Australia’s Annual Report 2017-2018
Palliative Care Australia continually strives to receive input from experts to advise our strategic and policy work. The PCA Board has convened a range of experts across backgrounds and disciplines to form a National Expert Advisory Panel (NEAP).
Members
Palliative Care Australia represents our groups and all Australians who believe in quality end of life care.
To view our list of members, visit our Members Page. To learn more about becoming a Member of Palliative Care Australia email pca@palliativecare.org.au
Member Organisations
Affiliate Members
Associate Members
PCA Staff
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Dr Chris Hatherly
CEO
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Josh Fear
National Policy Director
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Jillian Marsh
National Communications Director
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Chelsea Menchin
National Projects and Operations Director
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Annette Vickery
Paediatric Projects Manager
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Greg Kimball
Communications Manager
National Expert Advisory Panel
Palliative Care Australia receives input from experts who form the National Expert Advisory Panel, to advise our strategic and policy work. NEAP members will provide PCA with a diverse range of expertise to ensure PCA’s policy responses are robust and comprehensive.
