The BNPCC Hub

[From PCQ]

Advance care planning is more than completing documents, it is about listening, understanding culture, and creating space for conversations that respect people’s values, families, and ways of knowing

In this panel discussion webinar, join our panel of speakers Samantha McCLean, GP Palliative Care, Palliative and End of Life Services at the Institute for Urban Indigenous Health (IUIH) and Andrew Doyle, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Advanced Health Care Worker at Mackay Specialist Palliative Care Services as they bring together voices and experiences to explore advance care planning with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, including the role of culture in care decisions, why communication and consent matter, and how services and communities can support conversations around death, dying, and grieving.

This session invites health professionals, community members, carers, and anyone interested in providing more culturally responsive and compassionate care.

Wed, 17 Jun, 12pm - 1pm AEST

Register

[From PSA]

[From the Department of Health Disability and Ageing]

The government is changing the End-of-Life Pathway to provide a second round of funding for participants who live beyond the initial 12-week funding period. This will help ensure continuity of care for older people and their families at a critical time. This change will commence from early 2027.

https://www.myagedcare.gov.au/aged-care-programs/end-of-life-pathway

[The PHN will share more updates as soon as they are released!]

Ready to shape the future of at-home palliative care by strengthening workforce, connecting systems, and empowering communities?

Brisbane North PHN is seeking a Lead (Palliative Care Program)

https://au.seek.com/job/92193565

Full time role based at Chermside (hybrid work arrangement with min 2day/week in the office), 12 month contract.

[via CPCRE]

Dr Claire Stokes, Professor Phillip Good and the Palliative Care Research team at Mater Health Brisbane, have developed a survey exploring palliative care health professionals' attitudes towards referring patients to clinical trials, including decentralized clinical trials. The study has been approved by the Mater Misericordiae Limited Human Research Ethics Committee (MML HREC EC00332 - Project ID: 124034).

They would appreciate you completing the attached survey. Please click on the link below to complete the survey. Contact Dr Claire Stokes for more information (claire.stokes@mater.org.au)

Here is the link: https://forms.office.com/r/nVwYFqMd7G?origin=lprLink

[from CPCRE]

CPCRE Annual Research Conference
Friday 9th October 2026
Education Centre, Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital

'Dissemination: Sharing Wisdom' is the Conference theme

A/Prof Sharon Latimer from Griffith University and Harpreet Kalsi-Smith, Founder and Managing Director of The Kindness Company will be Keynote Speakers, with further speakers announced soon.

Get your registration tickets here: CPCRE Annual Research Conference 2026.

Abstract submissions for presentations and digital posters are now open until 21st June. If you have work you would like to share, you can submit your abstract here.

[from ELLC]

End of Life Law for Clinicians (ELLC) has developed, a guide for families and substitute decision-makers on how to make health care decisions for someone else at end of life.

The idea for this arose after we received feedback from aged care health professionals about the lack of guidance for families and decision-makers when they need to make end of life decisions. We would appreciate your support to promote this resource to health professionals, so they can share it with patients, families and decision-makers where appropriate. It applies to any setting - primary, aged or acute care.

[From Palliative Nexus]

Palspective on Research Webinar: Opioids in Palliative Care: Panacea or pain in the...

Opioids to manage cancer pain is gold-standard therapy but opioid therapy has found much wider application in palliative care, for pain management in non-malignant conditions and breathlessness in cancer and non-cancer conditions. Whilst they clearly work for some, they clearly do not work as well for others, and they can cause pretty significant side-effects for many, which we sometimes poorly recognise. So where are things at with opioids in 2026?

Jun 3, 2026 04:00 PM

Register

[AIHW media release- 14 May]

More Australians are receiving palliative care, with service use and expenditure continuing to rise across the health system, according to new Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) data released today.

The report, Palliative care services in Australia, shows that palliative care continues to play a critical role in supporting people with life‑limiting illness, particularly older Australians, with activity increasing in hospitals, outpatient settings and Medicare‑subsidised services.

‘Palliative care supports people and their families at some of the most vulnerable moments in their lives,’ AIHW spokesperson Dinesh Indraharan said.

In 2024–25, around 15,900 people received Medicare‑subsidised palliative medicine attendance* and case conference services*, with more than 78,000 services delivered nationally. Almost 4 in 5 people receiving services were aged 65 and over.

Hospital‑based palliative care activity has also grown steadily over time, with palliative care‑related hospitalisations increasing by 46% between 2015–16 and 2023–24, reflecting the expanding role of palliative care within Australia’s health system as the population ages.

In 2024–25, 1.6 million palliative care‑related prescriptions were dispensed to around 488,000 people, with pain relief medicines accounting for 80% of these prescriptions.

‘Pain management is central to quality palliative care,’ Mr Indraharan said.

‘While the number of people receiving palliative care-related medications has remained relatively stable over time with only a modest decrease in the past year, the number of prescriptions per person has increased, suggesting a rising complexity of care needs.’

Most Medicare‑subsidised specialist palliative care services were delivered in consulting rooms or hospitals, while around 12% were provided through case conferences. Data limitations mean these figures do not capture non‑specialist palliative care or community‑based services delivered outside specialist Medicare items.

Spending on palliative care has also increased across multiple parts of the health system.

In 2023–24, public hospitals that reported data spent $666.7 million on admitted patient palliative care, accounting for 16% of all subacute care costs. In the same year, $218.9 million was spent on non‑admitted palliative care, with expenditure in this area almost doubling since 2019–20, reflecting increased use of outpatient care.

Australian Government expenditure in 2024–25 has also risen, including:

• $6.8 million on Medicare‑subsidised palliative medicine attendances and case conferences
• $40.4 million on palliative care‑related medicines through the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme, with most spending related to pain relief therapies.

How Australia is tracking against national palliative care objectives

Alongside the services report, the AIHW has also released updates to the National palliative care measures report, examining progress against key objectives of the National Palliative Care Strategy.

The report shows that most national palliative care measures have either improved or remained stable since 2018, indicating steady progress under the strategy. Measurable improvements were observed in areas such as timely care and workforce capacity.

However, the report also highlights ongoing gaps.

‘A full national picture of palliative care quality and equity is still emerging, with limited or no national data currently available for measures such as cultural safety, advance care planning, preferred place of death and the proportion of people who receive palliative care when needed,’ Mr Indraharan said.

‘These new reports coincide with National Palliative Care Week, a reminder that quality palliative care plays a vital role in supporting people, and that understanding service activity and outcomes is part of ensuring care is available when and where it’s needed,’ Mr Indraharan said.

*Medicare‑subsidised palliative medicine attendance and case conference services refer to consultations and formal multidisciplinary case conferences provided by palliative medicine specialists and claimed under specific Medicare Benefits Schedule items. They represent only part of the palliative care delivered across the health system.

Read More

• National palliative care measures
• Palliative care services in Australia

[From CPCRE]

CPCRE invites clinicians from all disciplines to attend this FREE online event.

The 2026 CPCRE Bereavement Symposium will include four presentations from experts working with specialist populations including children and adolescents, older adults, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and regional and remote communities.

Monday 17 August 2026

12.00-16.00

Microsoft Teams

Register

For more information, contact CPCRE (cpcre@health.qld.gov.au).