A new report from Palliative Care Australia (PCA) reveals a dedicated but increasingly stretched palliative care workforce, as demand for care continues to rise faster than funding and staffing levels.
Palliative Care Australia is the national peak body for palliative care, advocating for equitable access to quality care in line with the National Palliative Care Strategy and the World Health Organisation’s definition of palliative care.
Released at the Oceanic Palliative Care Conference in Brisbane, Australia’s Palliative Care Workforce—Challenges and Opportunities draws on findings from PCA’s 2024 National Palliative Care Workforce Survey, conducted by Winton Research & Insights between May and August 2024.
Based on responses from 1,400 health and aged care professionals, workers and volunteers, the report highlights critical pressures across specialist, primary and aged care settings.
PCA CEO Camilla Rowland said the results are a “wake-up call for funders and policymakers.”
“The need for palliative care is growing, but investment has not kept pace,” Ms Rowland said.
“Workforce shortages and funding constraints are placing enormous strain on services and staff, limiting access to quality end-of-life care.”
Key findings include:
- 90% of specialist palliative care workers reported rising demand, but only 28% said funding met that demand.
- 69% reported recruitment difficulties, while 48% struggled to retain staff.
- In primary care, 72% said demand had increased, yet only 11% felt their service was adequately funded.
- In aged care, just 39% said their service was sufficiently funded, and nearly half reported no improvement or a decline in care quality.
- Nearly half (49%) said the introduction of Voluntary Assisted Dying had increased demand for palliative care.
PCA urges governments and health leaders to prioritise workforce support and funding to meet growing community needs for quality palliative care.