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Over the past few months, I have had the opportunity to meet many of the people who make up Western Australia’s palliative care community. What stands out is the extraordinary commitment to helping people live as well as possible, right to the end of life, and to supporting those important to them through grief and bereavement. The people in this sector are compassionate, generous with their time and deeply focused on the things that matter. But they are working in a system under increasing pressure. Demand continues to grow and, unless we see greater investment, that pressure will only continue to build.
National Palliative Care Week in May reinforced the importance of having conversations early. This year’s focus on asking the big questions reflected what we see every day through our Advance Care Planning program: when people talk about what matters most to them, they are better able to make informed decisions, reduce uncertainty for those around them and receive care that aligns with their values and wishes.
When people have these conversations early, it can make an enormous difference to the care they receive and the confidence of those who may one day need to make decisions on their behalf.
I would like to thank those of you who participated in our stakeholder survey at the end of April. It was wonderful to read through your responses. Two things stood out to me. First, there is enormous trust and goodwill towards Palliative Care WA. Second, there was a strong message that our role in education, Advance Care Planning, advocacy and bringing the sector together remains as important as ever. That’s a great endorsement of the direction we’re taking, and we’ll continue to build on it.
Earlier this month I joined colleagues from across Australia at a national workshop on the future Palliative Care Service Development Guidelines. It was encouraging to see the strong focus on quality, consistency and person-centred care. The guidelines are an important tool for supporting quality services and demonstrating the level of investment required to meet growing demand for palliative care.
Looking ahead, there is plenty happening across Palliative Care WA. The PCWA team and I will be at the Ageing Well Expo on 11 and 12 July at the Perth Convention and Exhibition Centre. If you’re attending, please come and say hello. We’d love to meet you and talk about Advance Care Planning and the work of Palliative Care WA. We are also preparing for the Palliative Care Summit in November, where we will explore the opportunities and challenges that technology and artificial intelligence present for palliative care. Alongside this, we are progressing plans to establish Western Australia’s first Advance Care Planning Community of Practice to help strengthen capability and collaboration across the state.
Advocacy will also remain a key focus. From ensuring our community palliative care and VAD navigation teams have the resources they need to meet growing demand, to supporting the successful implementation of the new end-of-life pathway under the Commonwealth Home Support Program, we will continue to champion the needs of the sector and the people it serves.
Thank you for your ongoing support of Palliative Care WA. I look forward to seeing you, supporting you, and working alongside you as we continue striving towards our vision that all people with life-limiting illnesses or conditions, and those important to them, are supported to live, die and grieve well.
Mark Kinsela
Chief Executive Officer
Palliative Care Western Australia