State Government Election 2025 – Sustainable palliative care for all Western Australians

As the peak body for palliative care in Western Australia, Palliative Care WA has consulted with our organisational members and other key palliative care sector organisations regarding vital palliative care recommendations for Western Australia.

Following the consultation sessions, we have developed a document highlighting the sector’s views on what are the essential measures needed to help make palliative care more sustainable in Western Australia titled ‘State Government Election 2025 – Sustainable palliative care for all Western Australians’.

The recommendations in this document align and complement those of our national organisation, Palliative Care Australia, and other state and territory palliative care organisations.

Ahead of the State Election in March next year, we are calling for all political parties to commit to investing in palliative care to meet the increasing demand for quality palliative care in Western Australia.

While we are grateful that end-of-life and palliative care has been a major focus of the WA Government as highlighted by the Sustainable Health Review (SHR), the WA End-of-Life and Palliative Care Strategy 2018–2028 (the WA Strategy) and the reports from two Parliamentary Joint Select Committees (End of Life Choices My Life, My Choice report, JSCEoLC, and Palliative Care in Western Australia – Progress Report, JSCPC), more needs to be done.

Palliative care and end-of-life care are integral parts of the health care system which improves the quality of life of patients with life-limiting illnesses and conditions, their families and carers, helping them to live, die and grieve well.

The document has five key recommendations:

RECOMMENDATION 1

Increase access to palliative care support packages for Western Australians under 65 years.

RECOMMENDATION 2

Continued and increased access to palliative care support funding for Western Australians accessing aged care.

RECOMMENDATION 3

Improve community pharmacy support and services.

RECOMMENDATION 4

Increase funding for community education and the education of health care professionals.

RECOMMENDATION 5

Grow initiatives that educate and engage the community to build compassionate communities.