The BNPCC Hub

[From National Palliative Care Coordination (NPCC)]

NPCC recognises that while several validated screening tools exist to support palliative care needs identification, their time burden remains a key barrier. Adoption requires low-burden workflows and resources to enable practical use in busy general practice settings.

Introducing GenPal!

The project team are developing GenPal, a needs screening and clinical decision support tool, specifically designed for General practice, to enhance the timely identification of Palliative care needs. Click here to watch version 1 of the GenPal Video for healthcare professionals

Unique features of the NPCC project are:

1. A patient priming and activation strategy with inclusion of PROMs

2. Digital integration

3. Patient resources which enhance prognostic awareness and ability to participate in serious illness discussions

4. Cyclic screening to enable screening at home and in the waiting room

Who guides us and how?

• Consumers: Lived experience and input and review of consumer-facing resources
• GPs and Practice Nurses: Clinicians from across Australia have given feedback and practical insights into the GenPal tool and its implementation
• Subject matter expert advisory panel: Expertise and advice at critical stages
• Research leadership group: Leads the project in research, data analysis and output development
• Community of Practice: Problem solving and on the ground implementation

How you can get involved…. small conversations lead to big change!

We’d love to hear from you. Contact us: npcc-contact@uow.edu.au
National Palliative Care Coordination project - University of Wollongong – UOW

[From Palliative Care Nurses Australia]

Don’t miss your opportunity to present an at the 2026 Palliative Care Nurses Australia Biennial Conference taking place, 10 - 12 June 2026 in Adelaide, South Australia and online.

This hybrid event offers the flexibility to present either in person or online ensuring everyone has the chance to contribute, connect and inspire — no matter where you are.

The conference theme is:

From Ideas to Impact: Innovating Together for Equity and Access

We invite submissions for:

• Oral Presentations
• Rapid Fire
• Display Poster

Share your innovations, research, and experiences that are shaping the future of palliative care.

Submissions close 31 October 2025.

https://pcnaconference.au/abstracts/

A limited stock of printed consumer resources are available at no charge – please send orders to QldPalliativeCareNetwork@health.qld.gov.au (incl. mailing address, contact and preferred number).

Available resources include:

• When someone dies bereavement booklet
• Sorry business bereavement booklet
• Care Companion decision aid (full)
• Care Companion decision aid (short)
• Care Companion decision aid (easy read)
• Best case, worst case
• Care Alert Kits

Free advance care planning webinars for Queensland aged care providers

From November 1, 2025, Australia's Aged Care Quality Standards will be strengthened to improve the safety, quality, and person-centred nature of aged care services.

Register now for a free, one-hour webinar to learn how advance care planning can assist care providers to meet these standards.

• Wednesday 19 November, 12.30pm – For Residential Aged Care Providers
• Thursday 27 November, 12.30pm – For Community Aged Care Providers

This webinar is jointly hosted by the Statewide Office of Advance Care Planning, Queensland Health and the Brisbane North PHN on behalf of all Queensland PHNs.

Brisbane North PHN is sponsoring Palliative Care Queensland to run short online education courses which aim to enhance community awareness and understanding in palliative care. These courses are offered free for those living or working in the North Brisbane and Moreton Bay regions. There are no prerequisites for training or experience within the health or palliative care space to attend.

• How to have conversations about grief and dying
  • Thursday 9 October (12.00pm – 1.00 pm)
  • Thursday 23 October (1.30 pm – 2.30 pm)
  • Thursday 6 November (12.00 pm – 1.00 pm)
  • Wednesday 19 November (1.30 pm – 2.30 pm)
• Talking to children about dying
  • Thursday 9 October (1.30 pm – 2.30 pm)
  • Wednesday 19 November (12.00 pm – 1.00 pm)
• Self-Care
  • Thursday 6 November (1.30 pm – 2.30 pm)
• Palliative Caring: Planning in 5 steps
  • Thursday 23 October (12.00 pm – 1.00 pm)
• Compassion in action: The clinical experience of Ambulance Wish Queensland
  • Wednesday 15 October (12.00 pm – 1.00 pm)
• Coping with grief during the holidays
  • Wednesday 5 November (12.00 pm - 1.00 pm)

For more information visit PalliLEARN – Palliative Care Queensland, call 07 3842 3242 or email hello@palliativecareqld.org.au.

The PHN has hardcopy resources for consumers available for services:

• Palliative Care Supports- a guide to supports available for adults in the North Brisbane and Moreton Bay region
• We need to know before you go: a palliative care yarning booklet to support advance care planning

Please contact Caroline by Friday 24 October if you would like these resources.

[From Palliative Nexus]

Pal-spectives is a virtual forum with thought leaders presenting their big ideas.

We are pleased to invite you to our next edition of Pal-spectives featuring an enlightening conversation with Professor Janet Hardy.

Prof Janet Hardy

Date: 1st October 4pm AEST

TOPIC: Reflections on a career of framing Palliative Care as an Integral Part of Modern Medicine

Prof Janet Hardy is internationally recognised for her contributions to symptom management, clinical trial methodology in palliative care, and integrating research into clinical practice. This Pal-spectives conversation will highlight how palliative care is not an “afterthought,” but a discipline at the cutting edge of innovation in care quality, research, and patient outcomes.”

Register for this event: https://unimelb.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_D5VRjRRLTSuNGIf2ZwxsXw#/registration

[From CHQ]

The theme for this year's Good grief, this hurts! webinar is:

Growing Up and Grieving: Deepening Our Understanding of Young People's Grief

Good grief, this hurts! is a free, annual educational event aimed at building community capacity and practical awareness about grief, loss, death and bereavement as experienced by children and young people. The event is an opportunity to enhance knowledge and skills in supporting a child or young person who is grieving.

In 2025, the Good grief, this hurts! webinar will explore how children and young people experience and express grief. We’ll unpack the unique challenges they face, the ways grief evolves as they grow, and how adults can offer meaningful support.

The webinar is open to anyone in the community who is caring for a grieving child or young person. We warmly welcome to this forum – family members and friends, teachers, guidance counsellors, healthcare providers, private counsellors/psychologists and community-based youth focused organisations.

Registered participants will receive a link to join the live event in October 2025. In the event of your inability to attend live webinar, a recording will be shared with you afterwards.

When: Thursday 16 October 2025 10am to midday
Register: https://www.stickytickets.com.au/e77xf/good_grief_this_hurts__2025__growing_up__grieving.aspx

For more information, please email: QuoCCAClinEd@health.qld.gov.au

This retreat is for Carers, Support Workers, End of Life Doulas and All Who Support Others.

Presented by ELDA — End of Life Doulas and Allies
Hunter Valley, NSW | 11-15 March 2026

Retreat Overview

This three night, two and a half day retreat offers a restorative, professionally guided experience for those who regularly walk alongside others through trauma, death and emotional labour. Whether you work in palliative care, aged care, nursing, allied health, ambulance services or as an end of life doula, this space is for you.

Step away from the demands of your day to day and into a nurturing, gentle rhythm that centres your wellbeing. Connect with peers, reflect and replenish all in a beautiful natural setting.

“Three days of renewal, connection and gentle support for those who care deeply and need space to nurture themselves too.”

Learn more and register your interest here: https://eolda.com.au/supporting-you-retreat-2026/

[From End of Life Doulas UK]

In a pioneering step for end of life care, Leeds became the first city in the UK to commission end of life doula support through the NHS in May 2022.

This pilot project, coordinated by EoLDUK, provided compassionate, non-medical support during the final weeks and months of life to people with a terminal diagnosis and those important to them. The Open University partnered with EoLDUK to independently evaluate the project and published a report at the half-way point of the project in July 2023 which is available open access here. This report underscores the significance of this project, highlighting the growing demand for end of life doulas and the ability of doulas to ‘fill the gaps’ in the health and social care system. The report stresses the positive impact of end of life doulas on increasing wellbeing, as well as the cost-effectiveness of integrating end of life doula support within public health frameworks.

End of Life Doula UK concluded their Leeds NHS pilot project in September 2024. The final report can be accessed here.

For more information see: https://eol-doula.uk/leeds-nhs-commissioned-project/