Page 5036 - Week 12 - Wednesday, 26 October 2011
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Health—palliative care services
MS BRESNAN (Brindabella) (3.34): I move:
That this Assembly:
(1) notes:
(a) that people who are dying and their carers need to be able to access a range of quality palliative care services;
(b) the ACT government’s current Palliative Care Strategy spans from 2007 to 2011, and a new strategy will need to be created to commence in 2012; and
(c) on 18 December 2009 the ACT government said it would commission an independent review of palliative care services in the ACT, however this review has not taken place; and
(2) calls on the ACT government to:
(a) commission an interstate person or body to conduct an independent review of palliative care services in the ACT to assist in the development of the 2012 Palliative Care Strategy; and
(b) include in that review an examination of:
(i) increasing demand for services;
(ii) adequacy of the range of services provided and the capacity to increase services;
(iii) adequacy of resources, including workforce;
(iv) successful models used in other jurisdictions;
(v) matters affecting the success of advance care planning;
(vi) support for existing non-government organisations and volunteers; and
(vii) education programs for the public and health professionals.
The Greens are moving this motion in the Assembly today to recognise the importance of palliative care services for people who are dying and their carers and to ensure that those services are best practice. One of the most difficult and emotional challenges people will face in their lifetime is the prospect of their own death. The only other challenge that could be deemed as or more difficult is the death of a loved one. All people have the right to safe, compassionate and appropriate care as they approach the end of their lives, and in the ACT we need to ensure that our services meet that test.
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