‘Growth in funding has changed’ – Minister concedes palliative care funding lower under Minns

Paediatric palliative care funding for some hospitals has been halved – compared to what they were promised under Premier Dominic Perrottet’s last budget.

Health Minister Ryan Park has been forced to concede that palliative care funding would have been higher under the Coalition, but is still refusing to acknowledge that he slashed money to look after dying kids.

The Daily Telegraph revealed on Thursday that the Minns government ripped money out of paediatric palliative care funding, as part of a $250 million cut to palliative care overall.

Mr Park refused to acknowledge that he had “cut” funding during a testy budget estimates hearing but conceded that there would have been more money under the Coalition.

“The profile in terms of growth in funding, yes, I understand, that has changed,” he told parliament.

“What we have done is re-profile the growth of that funding,” he said.

Health Minsiter Ryan Park conceded the “growth” in palliative care funding had “changed”. Picture: NCA NewsWire

The Telegraph on Thursday revealed that funding for pediatric palliative care services at the Sydney Children’s Hospital Network and John Hunter Children’s Hospital has been cut in half for the next two years.

Future funding for the hospitals’ pediatric palliative care programs has also been thrown into doubt.

The cuts were discovered by The Daily Telegraph among thousands of documents that the government tried to keep secret.

NSW Premier Chris Minns has cut funding to paediatric palliative care compared to what was in the Coalition’s last budget. Picture: NCA NewsWire

Last year the Telegraph revealed that $150 million had been cut from palliative care over the next four years.

However, documents tabled to parliament now reveal that $249 million has been ripped out of funding baked into the budget by the Coalition.

Government briefings described the cuts as a “revised funding envelope” decided by cabinet’s Expenditure Review Committee.

The Minns government revised down a $650 million funding package to $401 million. Picture: NCA NewsWire

“The World Class End of Life Care commitment will provide $401 million over 4 years (2022-23 to 2026-27)” government briefings said.

That’s compared to $650 million in extra operational funding that was committed under Mr Perrottet – a $249 million cut.

Despite the drop in funding, Health Minister Ryan Park has previously insisted the government is “not cutting palliative care”.

Sydney Children's Hospital Randwick will get less funding for paediatric care than under the Coalition.

After the 2022-23 budget, pediatric palliative care services at Sydney Children’s Hospital and John Hunter Hospital were told they receive $11.4 million in extra palliative care funding to 2026-27 from former Premier Dominic Perrottet’s “Enhancing End of Life Care” policy.

But funding has since been slashed, according to a memo sent by Deputy Secretary Deb Wilcox on September 15 last year.

Together, the hospitals will receive $2 million for pediatric palliative care this financial year. That’s half the $4 million the hospitals were told they would receive under the former government.

John Hunter Children’s Hospital will also get less money for paediatric palliative care.

In 2024-25, the hospitals are set to get $2.44 million for pediatric palliative care – compared to the $5 million they had been promised.

Funding from 2025-26 is yet to be determined.

The Telegraph can also reveal the amount each local health district will be worse off over the next five years, as detailed by a senior NSW Health bureaucrat in internal emails.

Health Minister Ryan Park has previously said that the government “is not cutting palliative care”. Picture: NCA NewsWire

South Western Sydney LHD will get $16.6 million less than under Mr Perrottet’s plan, Northern Sydney LHD will get $13.4 million less, and Sydney LHD will get $9.3 million less.

Western Sydney LHD is set to receive $2.2 million more, but only when counting $8 million more every year for “community care”.

Mr Park is set to be grilled at budget estimates on Thursday about the change in funding. Picture: NCA NewsWire

A NSW government spokesman refused to answer detailed questions about the funding cuts.

“Palliative care funding will be 6.8 per cent higher in 2023-24 compared to 2022-23,” he said.

He said funding for pediatric care would increase to “approximately $64 million over the next four years,” but did not dispute that funding would have been higher under the Coalition.

Asked to comment on the cuts to pediatric palliative care services at major hospitals, Opposition Health spokesman Matt Kean said the move showed the government “has no heart”.

“Any cut to Palliative care funding is unnecessary, cruel and puts dollars before human compassion, but cutting pediatric palliative care shows this Labor Government has no heart,” he said.

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