I work in Specialist Palliative Care
National Palliative Care Standards for Specialist Palliative Care Providers 5.1 (2024)
These Standards provide specialist teams with a shared framework for delivering consistent, high-quality palliative and end of life care.
Download a PDF copy of the Standards or order your free copy from the PCA Resource Library.
National Palliative Care Standards for Specialist Palliative Care Providers 5.1 Edition (2024)
National Palliative Care Standards for Specialist Palliative Care Providers, supporting consistent, high-quality palliative care across specialist services.
Key resources
The resources below support understanding and implementation of the Standards into practice.
Download the resources most relevant to your role or service needs below.
Service Story
This service story highlights how the Nioka Palliative Care Unit is embedding the National Palliative Care Standards into everyday practice during a period of workforce change and service growth. It shares how staff are using the Standards to guide quality improvement, support learning and plan for the unit’s future expansion.
National Palliative Care Standards Factsheet for Specialists
Quick reference guide to the 2024 updates to the National Palliative Care Standards for Specialist Palliative Care Providers, highlighting key changes and focus areas for specialist palliative care teams.
National Palliative Care Standards Poster
Visual resource designed to support awareness and engagement with the National Palliative Care Standards. Ideal for display in workplaces, the poster reinforces shared understanding and promotes consistent, high-quality palliative care.
National Palliative Care Standards
Explore the Nine National Palliative Care Standards
Overview
Initial and ongoing assessment incorporates the person’s physical, psychological, cultural, social and spiritual experiences and needs.
Overview
The person, their family* and carers work in partnership with the team to communicate, plan, set goals of care and support informed decisions about the care plan.
* The term family includes people identified by the person as family. This may include people who are biologically related, however it may not. People who joined the family through marriage or other relationships, such as kinship, as well as the chosen family, street family for those experiencing homelessness, and friends (including pets) may identified by the person as family. A person may also choose to not have their family or carers involved in their care, or a person may not have any family or carers.
Overview
The needs and preferences of the person’s family* and carers are assessed, and directly inform provision of appropriate support and guidance about their role.
* The term family includes people identified by the person as family. This may include people who are biologically related, however it may not. People who joined the family through marriage or other relationships, such as kinship, as well as the chosen family, street family for those experiencing homelessness, and friends (including pets) may be identified by the person as family. A person may also choose to not have their family or carers involved in their care, or a person may not have any family or carers.
Overview
The provision of care is based on the assessed needs of the person, informed by evidence, and is consistent with the values, goals and preferences of the person as documented in their care plan.
Overview
Care is integrated across the person’s experience to ensure seamless transitions within and between services.
Overview
Families* and carers have access to bereavement support services and are provided with information about loss and grief.
* The term family includes people identified by the person as family. This may include people who are biologically related, however it may not. People who joined the family through marriage or other relationships, such as kinship, as well as the chosen family, street family for those experiencing homelessness, and friends (including pets) may be identified by the person as family. A person may also choose to not have their family or carers involved in their care, or a person may not have any family or carers.
Overview
The service has a philosophy, values, culture, structure and environment that supports the delivery of person-centred palliative and end-of-life care.
Overview
Services are engaged in quality improvement and research to improve service provision and development.
Overview
Staff and volunteers are appropriately qualified, are engaged in continuing professional development and are supported in their roles.
Mapping Frameworks
These mapping documents show how the National Palliative Care Standards align with key national health, aged care and end-of-life care frameworks. They are designed to support services to understand areas of alignment, demonstrate compliance, reduce duplication, and strengthen consistent, high-quality palliative and end-of-life care across different settings and populations.
Download the mapping documents to the following
Maps the National Palliative Care Standards for Specialist Providers 5.1 (2024) to National Consensus Statement: Essential elements for safe and high‑quality end-of-life care (2023)
Overview
Staff and volunteers are appropriately qualified, are engaged in continuing professional development and are supported in their roles.
Maps the National Palliative Care Standards for Specialist Palliative Care Providers 5.1 (2024) to National Safety and Quality Primary and Community Healthcare Standards (2021)
Maps the National Palliative Care Standards for Specialist Palliative Care Providers 5.1 (2024) to the Strengthened Aged Care Standards (2025)
Palliative Care Self-Assessment
Assess you service against the Standards
Palliative Care Self-Assessment (PaCSA)
A structured, self-paced way to assess your service against the nine National Palliative Care Standards.
Palliative Care Self-Assessment (PaCSA) supports services to review and strengthen their practice against the National Palliative Care Standards. It offers a structured, self-paced approach to reflection and provides the ability for services to identify priorities and plan quality improvement activities aligned with accreditation requirements and organisational goals.
