After hours community palliative care

The Strengthening palliative care: a policy for health and community care providers 2004-09 policy contains an action area for the Department of Health in conjunction with palliative care providers or Palliative Care Consortia (consortia) to develop and implement 24-hour care on a seven day-a-week basis. 

Access to after hours support has been a requirement for all community palliative care services since 1997.  The department’s policy and funding guidelines define business hours as normally falling between 7am and 4.30pm Monday to Friday, not including public holidays.  All other times are ‘after hours’.

The department’s policy and funding guidelines describe the minimum level of service for after hours community palliative care including:

• Telephone advice to carers and families primarily (but not only) about symptom management if required
• A nursing visit if the service assesses that a visit is required and it is safe for staff to undertake the visit.

Any other after hours care negotiated between clients and the community palliative care service are undertaken on an individual basis.

In 2007 the department produced a report ‘Development of after hours palliative care services: option paper’ (attached). 

As there is currently no clear agreement about the most appropriate after hours care model for the state, the department has funded two pilot projects to identify the models and elements of an after hours service that can be rolled-out to other services across the state.  The projects are being piloted by:

• Eastern / Hume / Barwon South Western consortia
• Grampians / Loddon Mallee consortia

For more information contact Ellen Sheridan on Ellen.Sheridan@dhs.vic.gov.au or tel: 03 9096 5296.