Accessing palliative care

There is a range of specialist palliative care services available within Victoria offering advice, information, referral and support for a person with a life-threatening illness, their family, friends, carers and health professionals.

Scope of palliative care services

Palliative care services comprise:

• Community palliative care: provides holistic care including nursing care, allied health, respite and practical support, as well as information, equipment, medications and access to medical review and assessment in peoples’ homes.
• Inpatient palliative care: provides care to patients who require complex symptom and pain management or end of life care. Palliative care beds are located within acute hospitals as part of purpose-built subacute units or services, and as stand-alone services.
• Consultancy teams: provide advice, support, education and training to treating teams in hospitals, across acute and subacute services, to outpatient clinics and to community palliative care services.
• Outpatient clinics: provide interdisciplinary assessment, care planning and interventions early in the care pathway of a person diagnosed with a life-threatening illness.
• Day hospices: provide activities and psychosocial and emotional support for people with life-threatening illnesses and respite for their carers.

Referring to a palliative care service

Most community-based palliative care providers accept direct referrals, but many inpatient services require a referral from a medical practitioner.

Locating palliative care services

Download the list of palliative care services.

Palliative care consultancy services

In metropolitan Victoria, palliative care consultancy services are located in every metropolitan health service (except the Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital), and there is a palliative care consultancy in each rural region.