[from NPCC project]
The National Palliative Care (NPPC) Project is conducting interviews with Practice Nurses to
- Gain insights into chronic condition management processes and their experience in undertaking serious illness conversations, and
- Gather feedback on a newly developed screening protocol
The online interviews will run for 40–60 minutes, and an honorarium will be provided in recognition of your time. Participation is entirely voluntary, and we greatly value your contribution at a time that suits you.
This study has ethics approval 2024/ETH02262: 2025UMB0803. Interviews are open until 8 October 2025.
NPCC is a National Palliative Care Project funded by the Australian Government Department of Health, Disability, and Ageing.
For more information or any questions, please contact:
Stacey Heer
NPCC Project Manager
Sheer@uow.edu.au
Phone 02 4239 4632
The Department of Health is partnering with Nous Group to deliver a review of the Queensland Health Medical Aids Subsidy Scheme.
Why it matters
Aids and equipment play a key role in enabling people to make decisions about their lives, engage actively in their communities, and live with dignity and independence.
As the health, disability and aged care sectors continue to evolve through national reforms, the review of the Medical Aids Subsidy Scheme presents an opportunity to consider how the scheme can meet the needs of Queenslanders in a contemporary, fair and sustainable way.
Scope of the review
The review will assess how the Medical Aids Subsidy Scheme is currently working and explore opportunities to strengthen its impact and effectiveness. This includes understanding stakeholder experiences, highlighting what is working well, and identifying ways to enhance service delivery and outcomes for consumers.
The review will also consider how the scheme can align with broader reforms across the health, disability and aged care sectors.
What is changing
At this stage, there are no changes to the Medical Aids Subsidy Scheme services, eligibility criteria or funding arrangements. The focus of the review is to listen, learn, and collaborate on shaping the scheme for the future.
How you can be involved
Queensland Health is committed to ensuring stakeholders have an opportunity to contribute to the review. Engagement activities will be held throughout the review process and include a survey, focus groups, workshops, and targeted consultations.
We welcome input from a wide range of stakeholders, including consumers, carers, prescribers, suppliers, hospital and health services, representative bodies, and government partners.
Project updates and information about how to participate will be available on the Medical Aids Subsidy Scheme website: www.health.qld.gov.au/mass.
More information
If you have any questions or would like further information about the review, please contact the project team at MASS-Review@health.qld.gov.au.
[From Karuna Hospice Services]
Karuna is pleased to announce the launch of our Carer Support Services, designed for carers supporting someone with a life-limiting illness, as well as those recently bereaved. These services are proudly delivered by Karuna in partnership with Wellways Carer Gateway.
We are now accepting referrals for carers who may benefit from our range of supports, including upcoming peer groups for both current and recently bereaved carers.
These services are proudly delivered for and in partnership with Wellways Carer Gateway, who are supported by a vast local and national partner network, including Karuna. Our strong collaboration ensures carers are empowered with the support they need to flourish and become the best version of themselves. At Karuna, we walk alongside those navigating the often complex and emotional journey of supporting someone with a life-limiting illness. Whether the person in their care has just received a diagnosis, is receiving palliative care, nearing end of life, or has recently died—carers need and deserve support too. We offer a range of free, tailored services for carers, designed to reduce isolation, build resilience,and provide practical and emotional support. These include:
- Navigation support: helping carers understand what’s available and access the right services at the right time
- Counselling: offering a safe, compassionate space to process grief, loss, emotional strain & change
- Coaching: supporting carers to reflect, plan ahead, develop confidence, and maintain balance in their lives
- Peer support groups: guided group sessions where carers can share experiences and connect with others in similar circumstances
We invite you to refer carers—whether they are family members, friends, or neighbours—who may be quietly carrying the burden of care. They do not need to wait until crisis strikes. In fact, the earlier we can provide support, the more grounded, informed, and emotionally sustained they are likely to feel throughout the journey.
We’ll be sharing more detailed information about these services soon. In the meantime, if you are working with a carer who may benefit from support, you can ask them to complete the enquiry form themselves, or—with their consent—complete it on their behalf. Our team will then be in touch to offer personalised assistance.
https://karuna.org.au/carer-support/
Information Sheets
If you have any questions about the services or referral process, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.
[From CPCRE]
CPCRE invites aspiring researchers to join the free September online (via MS Teams) sessions designed for health professionals wanting to know more about doing research.
Prof Phillip Good, Palliative Care Researcher and Natalie Barker, UQ Librarian are just two of the speakers.
You will also get opportunity to have a one-to-one conversation with an experienced researcher to progress your plans and learn some tips and tricks.
Attendance is open to clinicians and workers in all health disciplines, health services and health economics.
3 September
13:00 – 14:00
Ideas & Questions
- Generating research ideas
- Formulating a research question
- How to do a great literature search
17 September
13:00 – 14:00
Design and Methodology
- Data collection
- Analysis
- Write-up
Register here. Contact cpcre@health.qld.gov.au more information.
Dates and booking link will be provided after session 2 for a follow-on, one-to-one conversation about your research concept with an experienced palliative care researcher – an opportunity to discuss your ideas and develop your concept. You will be required to send an outline of your plan to CPCRE before the discussion.
[From CPCRE]
"Bridging the gaps in palliative care for First Nations Australians"
Tuesday 2 September
12:00 - 13:00 hours (Queensland time)
to be presented by Kathryn Hooper
REGISTER HERE
for this free online education
[Media release]
Thursday, 14 August 2025
The Allan Labor Government has appointed Victoria’s first Chief Palliative Care Adviser, a role tasked with ensuring the state’s palliative and end-of-life care system continues to support Victorians and their families. Minister for Health Mary-Anne Thomas today announced that Associate Professor Mark Boughey has been selected for the fixed term, six-month role and will oversee the planned refresh of Victoria’s End of Life and Palliative Care Framework, which was first established in 2016. A decade into this work, it is critical to ensure that Victoria’s palliative care policies and service models continue to drive accessible and high-quality care – ensuring Victorians can live as fully and comfortably as possible with their life-limiting illness. Refreshing the framework will provide a renewed focus on this type of care and ensure Victoria’s service system remains contemporary and sustainable into the future, so that it can continue to offer choice to Victorians who are approaching the end of their life.
Full media release
[From Karuna]
Dear Stakeholders and Referral Partners,
We are proud to announce that we are now delivering a wide range of free supports and services that have been designed by carers, for carers. These services are proudly delivered by Karuna in partnership with Wellways Carer Gateway.
Please join us for the official launch of Karuna’s exciting new services in partnership with Wellways Carer Gateway.
Our free, tailored services for carers are designed to reduce isolation, build resilience, and provide practical and emotional support. These include:
• Navigation support
• Counselling
• Coaching
• Peer support groups
Throughout the morning you will learn more about these supports and services and hear from the key staff delivering these essentials services to carers across South East Queensland.
Date: Thursday 4 September
Time: 9.45am for a 10.00am start – 11.00am
Venue: Karuna House, 27 Cartwright Street, Windsor
RSVP to: carers@karuna.org.au by 28 August
Light refreshments will be provided following formalities.
We look forward to welcoming you to our event.
Regards,
Karuna Carer Support Team
www.karuna.org.au
Right to Access Health Services
This session explores how the Human Rights Act 2019 (Qld) is influencing the provision of health care in Queensland. Through recent case law, we’ll examine how rights such as equality, privacy and access to health services without discrimination are being interpreted and applied to matters relating to health. Attendees will learn about the human rights obligations on clinicians, state agencies and policy-makers and the growing role of human rights in shaping patient care.
Event: |
ACHLR Public Lecture - Right To Access Health Services |
Date: |
Thursday 28 August |
Time: |
5:30pm - 7:00pm AEST |
Location: |
Gibson Room, Level 10, Z Block, QUT Gardens Point Campus or online via Zoom |
| Speaker: |
Scott McDougall |
RSVP: |
Register by Tuesday 26 August |
International Perspectives on Assisted Dying: Comparative insights from Canada, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Australia
As assisted dying becomes increasingly legalised across the globe, important insights can be gained from how different jurisdictions approach access, safeguards, clinical practice, and oversight. This international panel brings together leading experts from Canada, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Australia - countries with established or emerging assisted dying regimes, each shaped by distinct cultural norms and regulatory approaches.
Event: |
ACHLR Public Lecture - International Perspectives on Assisted Dying |
Date: |
Monday 8 September |
Time: |
5:00pm - 6:00pm AEST |
Location: |
Owen J Wordsworth Room, Level 12, S Block, QUT Gardens Point Campus or online via Zoom |
| Panellists: |
Ben White, Agnes van der Heide, James Downar, Luc Deliens |
RSVP: |
Register by Wednesday 3 September |
For more information on our speakers please see website.
Congratulation CPCRE (BNPCC member org!) for being nominated for Outstanding Achievement in Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander Palliative Care.
[From PCA]
Palliative Care Australia today announced the 24 finalists for the 2025 National Palliative Care Awards.
The prestigious awards, proudly sponsored by Silverchain, celebrate excellence, innovation, and leadership across Australia’s palliative care sector.
Palliative Care Australia’s Chief Executive Officer, Camilla Rowland, said the winners of eight award categories would be announced at a ceremony in Brisbane on Thursday 11 September hosted by comedy great, and palliative care advocate, Jean Kittson.
“The National Palliative Care Awards are one of the ways we can shine a light on the dedication and compassion of people across Australia who care for patients with life-limiting illnesses, and the families and communities that surround them,” Ms Rowland said. “The award finalists are changemakers that have worked with their teams to deliver exceptional care and advocate for people at the most vulnerable moment in their lives."
“We are so pleased that Silverchain has once again chosen to partner with Palliative Care Australia to deliver this key event in our sector’s calendar,” Ms Rowland said. Ms Rowland said the Awards would be a highlight of the Oceanic Palliative Care Conference (25OPCC) that will be hosted in Brisbane across three days from 10-12 September.
[From PCQ]
Join us on Wednesday, August 27, for our webinar, “Honouring Excellence: Stories and Reflections from 2024 Award Winners”.
The webinar will feature guest speakers Jodi Ruddell, Emerging Leader in Palliative Care winner and Janet Hardy, Lifetime Achievement winner, who will share their stories and reflections after winning at Palliative Care Queensland's annual awards in 2024.
We believe that palliative care is everybody’s business, and we aim to build compassionate communities around people and their families experiencing serious illness, dying, death and grief. This webinar is designed for all members of the community including both health and non-health related workers (i.e., healthcare workers, doctors, nurses, social workers, allied health staff, health administrative staff, spiritual care workers, health managers, health educators, pharmacists and paramedics). We also encourage people from diverse backgrounds to attend.
DATE: 27 August 2025
TIME: 12:00pm - 1:00pm (AEST)
REGISTER: https://events.humanitix.com/pcqwebinaraug2025
Any questions please email us to hello@palliativecareqld.org.au, or call us on 07 3842 3242.
FREE for people living and working in the Brisbane North PHN region (BNPCC members)
2026
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