Palliative care advocates say terminally ill patients in western Sydney are missing out on acute and holistic end-of-life care, as Westmead Hospital marks more than a decade without a dedicated palliative care unit.
However, advocates say the system is failing to support end-of-life patients, who are often placed in other hospital wards that lack palliative care expertise, or are forced to travel to facilities in Mt Druitt or Auburn to access services."Palliative care is multi-disciplinary. It's not just the doctors. It's the team of nurses, allied health and spiritual care that is required," said retired palliative care physician Dr Philip Lee.
He added that palliative care was not only about end-of-life care, but also supportive care for patients undergoing active treatment to improve their quality of life. "The NSW Government invests more than $220 million in palliative care each year," the spokeswoman said, pointing to a further $56 million announced for palliative care in the November state budget.
Source: Healthcare Press (healthcarepress.net)
LucyCormack Well that’s a shame but it’s important to flatten the curve. If you don’t terrorise the elderly and wear a mask in your car the curve will go up a case.