Practice Setting Resources

• The Centre to Advance Palliative Care (CAPC) (US) has toolkits: Integrating Palliative Care in the ICU and Integrating Palliative Care in the Emergency Department to increase access to palliative care services for patients and their families that move these two services.
• End-of-Life Essentials has free learning modules for health professionals that work in the acute sector. It is based on the Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care’s National Consensus Statement: Essential elements for safe and high-quality end-of-life care.
• The Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care has resources to support End of -life care in the hospital. This includes an auditing toolkit, resources for end-of-life care and information for consumers.
• Rawlings D, Devery K, Tieman J, Tait P, Chakraborty A. Rapid review of the literature on end-of life care. Sydney: ACSQHC; 2021. This work informs the update of the National Consensus Statement: essential elements for safe and high-quality end-of-life care.
• The Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care Factsheet: End-of-life care – last days of life focusses on specific aspects of caring in the last days of life. This includes identification of the dying person, performing clinical observations, anticipating and managing symptoms.
• The Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care Factsheet: End-of-life care – clinical basics. This factsheet provides a table of possible symptoms at end of life and management strategies that are the foundation of clinical end of life care.
• The Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care Factsheet: End-of-life care – planning provides information around individualised care planning through shared decision making and the identification of a care coordinator.

• Cancer Institute NSW’s initiative eviQ has many resources for health professionals to develop their skills by utilising evidence-based learning activities.
• From the Cancer Council Australia: Clinical Guidelines. See a range of clinical practice guidelines for various cancers.
• National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC). An ethical framework for integrating palliative care principles into the management of advanced chronic or terminal conditions (594kb pdf). Canberra: NHMRC; 2011 Sep. This framework facilitates best ethical practice for those receiving palliative care for advanced chronic or terminal conditions.

• The Royal Children’s Hospital, Melbourne has a Palliative Care section on their website. This section provides information, advice and support to ensure best possible palliative care.
• From Palliative Care Australia a website – Paediatric Palliative Care provides practical information about paediatric palliative care. There is a carer section and a health professional section.
• The Quality of Care Collaborative Australia (QuoCCA) project delivers paediatric palliative care education to health professionals. They also provide resources for paediatric palliative care services and offer patient carer information.
• The West Midlands Children and Young People’s Paediatric Palliative Care Network (UK): provides a toolkit to support families by equipping staff with resources that facilitate best practice, timely care.
• WA Cancer and Palliative Care Network: Paediatric and adolescent palliative care model of care (2009) (394kb pdf) highlights the differences between palliative care for adults, children and adolescents. They address the current gaps in service provision in their Model of Care.

Adolescents

• The Youth cancer website (from Canteen) has information and resources for young people with cancer and their families. They support young people to access the best, age-appropriate cancer care and support.
• Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre – Victorian Adolescent and Young Adult Cancer Service provide clinical services for young people.
• The Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care User Guide for Acute and Community Health Service Organisations that Provide Care for Children identifies strategies for health service organisations to implement from the National Safety and Quality Health Service Standards.
• Clinical Oncology Society of Australia: Psychosocial management of AYAs diagnosed with cancer: Guidance for health professionals gives an overview and practice points relating to the needs and wishes of the young person and support form family, friends and health professionals.
• WA Cancer and Palliative Care Network: Paediatric and adolescent palliative care model of care (2009) (394kb pdf). highlights the differences between palliative care for adults, children and adolescents. They address the current gaps in service provision in their Model of Care.

Neonates

• Safer Care Victoria website provides guidance on Palliative (end of life) neonatal care gives advice around many aspects of care, including anticipatory discussions, care of the newborn, medication and family support.
• The WA Cancer and Palliative Care Network: Perinatal Palliative Care Model of Care (2015) (1.51MB pdf) provides a Model with pathways for referral and entry of the foetus/newborn and their family onto a palliative care approach.

• The Advance Project website offers online education in palliative care for GPs, practice nurses, and practice managers.
• The Australian Government Commonwealth Home Support Programme helps people over 65 years to access support services to stay safe and independent at home.
• The Gold Standards Framework (GSF) in the UK is a systematic approach to optimising the care for patients nearing the end of life delivered by generalist providers. They offer training to frontline staff in caring for people in the last years of life.
• The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) aged care clinical guide (Silver Book) – Part A Palliative and end-of-life care has resources for GP’s relating to the general principles of palliative care, their role and in practice information.
• The Department of Health, Disability and Ageing has information on each of the Primary Healthcare Networks (PHNs).
• The Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation has a position statement on Nurses and midwives in general practice (189kb pdf) as well as other Policies, guidelines and position statements that may be of interest. For example, care of the person with a life limiting illness, digital health, clinical supervision for nurses and midwives and voluntary assisted dying.
• Medical Aids Subsidy Scheme of Queensland provides assistance with equipment for palliative care in the home, speak with clients about this program or similar in your state.
• From Western Australia Palliative Care: Palliative Caring – Information for families and carers who are caring for a person with a life-limiting illness or condition (2MB pdf) is a booklet that explains what caring involves and references a range of resources that that can support carers.

• The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) aged care clinical guide (Silver Book) – Part B Older people in rural and remote communities assists GP’s working in rural and remote areas to understand the barriers and has a checklist for the newly arrives GP.
• CRANAplus is the peak professional body for the remote and isolated health workforce of Australia. They have a Position Paper: Palliative Care (Endorsed by PCNA).
• The Australian General Practice Network (AGPN) developed a Rural Palliative Care Program Resource toolkit which is available within the CareSearch Grey literature database.
• From the Agency for Clinical Innovation. Listen to Dr Sarah Wenham talk about rural palliative care.