What we do

Our purpose

The purpose of the North and West Metropolitan Region Palliative Care Consortium is to support the delivery of effective, responsive, and accessible palliative care services to people residing in the north west metropolitan region of Melbourne through:

• effective regional planning that identifies service gaps and the unmet needs of certain populations
• exploration of service models that ensure continuity of care across the service system
• contributing to the development of sound policy
• promotion of the role of palliative care as a significant component of the health care system in addressing end of life care needs
• collaborative identification of resolutions to service and sector problems that prevent access to and provision of services.

We support initiatives that ensure palliative care services in the north west metropolitan region’s of Melbourne remain contemporary, evidence based, client centered and coordinated, and reflect the varying needs of the regions population.

We promote collaborative approaches to quality improvement in palliative care and end of life care

Our work is guided by the Victorian Government end of life and palliative care framework released in June 2016 and other policies and programs to support people with a life limiting illness and their carers, families, friends and communities.

The goals of the Framework include;

• people experience optimal end of life care
• people’s pain and symptoms are managed using quality interventions
• peoples preferences and values are recognised and respected in their end of life care
• better support for carers
• people are cared for in their place of choice
• where possible, people can choose to die in their place of choice.

The Framework identified five Priority Areas for improvement to ensure the right care is delivered at the right time and in the right place, to respond to the needs of people and their families. All initiatives and projects undertaken by our consortium reflects one or more of these priorities.

Priority 1: Person-centred services

• A person’s care is individualised
• Families and carers are supported and valued
• People have information that supports decision making
• People have opportunities to develop their advance care plan

Priority 2: Engaging communities, embracing diversity

• All communities and groups have access to end of life and care planning
• Improved engagement with community leaders to enable them to connect their communities to end of life care
• Communities understand the services available for end of life care and bereavement support

Priority 3: People receive services that are coordinated and integrated

• People experience services that are coordinated and designed locally
• The primary, hospital, palliative and aged care sectors connect effectively to respond to care needs
• Early discussion, referral, planning and coordination occurs

Priority 4: Quality end of life and palliative care is everyone’s responsibility

• Knowledge is increased across the healthcare sector to provide safe,quality care
• End of life care is consistent across the healthcare system
• Health care staff are equipped to communicate and deliver the benefits of palliative care
• Organisations actively support their staff in the delivery of quality end of life care

Priority 5: Specialist palliative care is strengthened

• Models of home-based care are effective and efficient
• The specialist workforce is used effectively
• Specialist palliative care is accessible locally

Annual reports

For more information

For more information about our consortium or this website please contact Consortium Manager, Kathleen Menzies