NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet has announced that an extra $743 million over the next five years will be added to $300 million that the NSW Government already invests each year in palliative care when the State Budget is announced on 21 June.
“This is about providing the greatest possible comfort and dignity to people who are at the end of their life, whether that’s in hospital, at home or in the wider community, right across the state,” he said.
$650 million over five years will be spent to:
- employ an extra 600 nurses, allied health professionals, doctors, and support staff;
- boost hospital capacity and implement best-practice models for supportive and palliative care;
- improve access to pain management services for patients with life-limiting illness, to help patients and their family and carers;
- improve services for people with late stage chronic and degenerative conditions, and cancer;
- further strengthen outpatient and community health services;
- support consumer choice and excellence in end-of-life and palliative care;
- strengthen virtual care, transport and equipment programs; and
- improve partnership with non-Government organisations, primary care and aged care services.
A further $93 million will be used for capital investment, to redevelop and refurbish facilities, including new dedicated palliative care units at Westmead Hospital and Nepean Hospital in Sydney’s western suburbs.
