Camden Hospital: Uncertain future for palliative care unit as ‘enhancements’ considered for Macarthur

The future of Camden’s palliative care unit is hanging in the balance after the hospital refused to definitively confirm the centre would remain open. Do you think it should stay open? Vote in our poll.

Camden Hospital. Picture: AAP Image / Angelo Velardo

The future of Camden’s palliative care unit is hanging in the balance after the hospital refused to definitively confirm the centre would remain open for those needing end-of-life hospice care.

The South West Sydney Local Health District would only say “no decision has been made” on the future of the unit after social media posts raised fears it would shut and moved to Campbelltown Hospital.

According to the LHD’s website, the unit at Camden Hospital has ten beds and is led by staff specialist, a nurse unit manager and other staff with a dedicated allied health team and volunteers.

The unit caters for residents from the Macarthur, Wollondilly, and Wingecarribee areas.

After the concerns were raised in the community, this publication reached out to SWSLHD for comment and asked when it would close, why, how many patients would be impacted, if there was any community consultation and what services would be available at Campbelltown Hospital.

A spokeswoman for Camden and Campbelltown Hospital said the LHD was committed to ensuring people receive compassionate, specialised and high-quality care as they reach the end of their life.

“We are committed to ensuring that palliative and end-of-life care meets the needs of the Macarthur community now and into the future,” she said.

“This includes ensuring appropriate inpatient care and access to specialist teams. Any clinical service adjustments would involve community and stakeholder consultation.

“Palliative care enhancements in Macarthur are being considered as part of the NSW Government’s End of Life and Palliative Care Framework.”

Following this statement, this publication contacted the SWSLHD once again to try and gain some clarity into the issue due to the vague nature of the statement.

However, the LHD would not confirm directly if there were plans to shut the unit and the spokeswoman only added that a decision has not been made on the future Camden’s palliative care unit.

There is currently no on-site palliative care unit at Campbelltown Hospital