Overview

Palliative care aims to prevent and relieve suffering and improve the quality of life of people (adults, children and their families) facing problems associated with life-limiting illness. Palliative care can be delivered in almost all settings where health care is provided, by a wide range of health and community providers, is not limited to any specific condition, can be delivered at any stage of illness, and can accompany curative treatments.

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Latest findings

13,900 people received 66,300 Medicare-subsidised palliative medicine attendance and case conference services in 2022–23

There was a 29% increase in palliative care-related hospitalisations between 2015–16 and 2021–22

Pain relief medications accounted for 4 in 5 (78%) of the 1.3 million palliative care-related prescriptions in 2022–23

Almost 1 in 2 children who died in 2021 with a life-limiting condition received palliative care at a children’s hospital

Children in the study population lived an average of 150km away from the hospital at which they received care

7 in 8 children from the study population died in the family’s end-of-life location goal