PCA has made a submission responding to a Discussion Paper that will inform the Primary Health Reform Steering Group recommendations on the Australian Government’s Primary Health Care 10 Year Plan. PCA’s submission to emphasises the importance of palliative care in primary health care. The PCA submission includes input about:

• the impact of people living longer and living with more chronic disease;
• the extensive role that primary health care providers have in caring for palliative care patients and carers;
• the benefits of investment in primary health care to take pressure of other parts of the health system;
• the need to increase the presence of primary health care in residential aged care;
• the role of telehealth in primary health care and the issues to consider for palliative care patients; and
• supporting GPs through increased knowledge and awareness to improve quality use of opioids and to meet the needs of palliative care patients

PCA Submission Primary Health Reform Discussion Paper-July 2021