HOSPITALS across Australia are facing increasing demand on palliative care services.
New data from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare shows palliative care hospitalisations increased 11 per cent between 2010 and 2014, and 13,000 patients received Medical Benefits Schedule subsidised palliative medicine services in 2014-15.
The information comes after revelations that NSW has the lowest number of palliative care nurses per head of population, with less than one palliative care specialist physician for every 100,000 people.
Institute spokesman Tim Beard said as Australia’s population aged, the demand for palliative care services would continue to grow. “These services are in increasing demand as patterns of disease at the end of life change,” he said.
“An increasing proportion of Australians are suffering from chronic illnesses, and people are therefore more likely to die from chronic illnesses and make use of palliative care services.”
Patients aged 75 and over accounted for about half of all palliative care hospitalisations, while 11 per cent were under 55. More than two in five people who died in hospital had been a palliative care patient.
The report found the majority of the palliative care workforce consisted of specialist care nurses, with a total 3269 palliative care nurses working in the sector in 2014 and 192 specialist palliative care physicians.
One in six of the 728 public acute hospitals had a hospice care unit.
