‘Underfunded’ palliative care gets $3m boost with extra beds for end-of-life patients
A $3 million funding boost is set to provide additional beds in south western Sydney, easing pressure on what experts describe as a ‘costly and unglamorous’ but critical service.
NSW
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Vulnerable patients in south western Sydney will receive a $3 million boost from the Minns government for end-of-life care - a pledge that follows its earlier decision to strip $249 million from broader palliative care services.
The enhanced palliative care facilities will include a new ward at Campbelltown Hospital and more beds for subacute palliative care at Camden Hospital.
The Daily Telegraph revealed in 2024 that the Minns government slashed funding to palliative care in its first budget, including halving funding for hospitals providing end-of-life care to terminally ill kids.
The government insists its 2023 commitment of $1.7 billion over four years represents record funding for palliative care.
Additional funding has also been allocated for capital investment in new care units including the latest $3 million and $22.3 million towards a children’s hospice at Westmead to accommodate paediatric palliative patients.
Health Minister Ryan Park has denied any previous cuts were made and said the government “remains on track to deliver a record investment in palliative care”.
“Palliative care funding will continue to increase year on year, every year, under the budget,” Mr Park said.
He said the additional beds provided by the funding would assist with “expanding the level of care that can be provided and ensuring more people have access to the right care when it’s most in need”.
“We still have a lot of work to do, but this investment will offer more privacy, comfort and dignity to support people in their final stages of life — and help ensure they receive the highest standard of care,” Mr Park said.
Speaking on the condition of anonymity, a NSW doctor with experience in palliative care said the services had long been “underfunded,” and that patient care plans often had to be adjusted due to bed availability.
“(Palliative care units) don’t produce flashy news stories like a cutting-edge heart transplant or a high-profile surgery,” they said.
“So I get why there is a reticence to fund something that is both costly and unglamorous.”
The doctor said they witnessed “a lot of simply unmet needs - unoptimised pain, nausea, breathlessness [and] mobility difficulties”.
“Bed pressure was a constant part of working in palliative care,” they said.
The expanded ward at Camden will repurpose a former maternity ward and include a new nurse call system, an outdoor courtyard, and renovated bathrooms designed for palliative care patients. The new ward at Campbelltown will be similarly built for purpose.
Member for Camden Sally Quinnell said the upgrade is “much needed, and will ensure Camden residents can continue to live within the comfort of their own community and surrounded by family.”
“We know that our area is one of the fastest-growing catchments, and this new funding will support our hardworking healthcare workers to deliver world-leading care,” Ms Quinnell said.
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