Keeping up to date through education
There are a wide variety of palliative care learning, education, and training opportunities for GPs. The minimum requirements for the 2020-22 triennium are 130 Continuing Professional Development (CPD) Program point.
National Palliative Care Program learning options
The Advance Project is a CareSearch partner project. It is a practical, evidence-based toolkit and a training package, specifically designed to support Australian general practices to implement a team-based approach to initiating advance care planning and palliative care into everyday clinical practice.
The online training activity for general practitioners has been approved as a CPD activity by the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) and the Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine (ACRRM).
The End of Life Law for Clinicians (ELLC) project helps clinicians learn about end-of-life law and the effects this has on end-of-life care and palliative care for patients.
The Program of Experience in the Palliative Approach (PEPA) helps health professionals to deliver palliative care by providing training in clinical placements in specialist palliative care services and interactive workshops.
The Quality of Care Collaborative Australia (QuoCCA) Project helps local health professionals provide palliative care to children and their families and carers by improving access to training and raising community awareness of palliative care for paediatric patients.
Tools and resources for professionals
Short cuts – accessing the palliative care literature
PubMed searches
Palliative care literature – general practice
Pre-written topic searches in PubMed using a palliative care filter. These searches locate palliative care information in the general practice context.
Palliative care literature – Primary Health Care
Pre-written topic searches that locate palliative care information in a primary health care context, (primary health care as point of entry to the health system and with a public health, patient-centred focus).
Further Training – opportunities for general practitioners
RACP Chapter of Palliative Medicine
Clinical Foundation in Palliative Medicine
A six month a clinical training program involving an attachment with a palliative care service.
Advanced training
General practitioners (GPs) who wish to consider specialty training in palliative medicine may do so through the RACP Australasian Chapter of Palliative Medicine. Those with specialist recognition from the RACGP (or another college) can apply for entry to the advanced training program.
(See Also Formal qualifications, Short courses and workshops and eLearning)
Professional association – Australian New Zealand Society for Palliative Medicine (ANZSPM)
ANZSPM provides regular access to training, networking, and discussions of policy issues relevant to palliative care. The society is open to any general practitioners with an interest in palliative medicine.
Online resources – some of the key social media resources with palliative care content
Using social media allows clinicians to participate in national and international conversations about palliative care and related topics. These links give some insight into the debates and discussions that are driving the field of palliative medicine.
- Pallimed
- Tumblr’s Pallimed Blog
Blogs from the United States that address the palliative care literature, as well as politics and training from a US perspective. - GeriPal
Blog with a geriatric and palliative bent from the US. - Palliverse
A new Australian palliative care blog and online forum – launched in September 2014. - Twitter page of the European Association for Palliative Care
- Twitter page of BMJ Supportive and Palliative Care
Key GP resources
Last updated 22 May 2026