What is Palliative Care? 
The World Health Organisation defines palliative care as:  "An approach that improves the quality of life of individuals and their families facing the problem associated with life-threatening illness, through the prevention and relief of suffering by means of early identification and impeccable assessment and treatment of pain and other problems, physical, psychosocial and spiritual."

Palliative care is not limited to individuals with cancers but rather anyone with a condition that has a terminal phase or is progressive in nature. 

There has been incredible focus on palliative care in recent years.  Best practice guidelines have been developed and it has become a speciality area in its own right.  Following are links to specific Division of General Practice programs in palliative care, government funded projects and organisations with specific expertise in palliative care.

Division Programs:

Adelaide North East Division of General Practice
Canning Division of General Practice
Wide Bay Division of General Practice

ADGP has been engaged by the Department of Health and Ageing to manage the Rural Palliative Care (RPC) Program.   The RPC Program is one of a number of initiatives designed to achieve the goals of the National Palliative Care Strategy.  Under this Program, funding of up to $5 million over a three year period has been made available to support several rural Divisions of General Practice in the development and implementation of collaborative models, demonstrating improved access to multidisciplinary palliative care delivery for rural communities.  Following is a link to the Rural Palliative Care Program web pages, they highlight Division developed resources under the RPC initiative https://www.adgp.com.au/site/index.cfm?display=3686.

Other Resources:

Palliative Care Australia the national peak body for palliative care in Australia.  http://www.pallcare.org.au/

Guidelines for a Palliative Approach in Residential Aged Care - Prepared by Edith Cowan University, WA, on behalf of the Department of Health and Ageing, under the National Palliative Care Program.  http://www.health.gov.au/internet/wcms/Publishing.nsf/Content/Palliative+Care-1

Australian Government DoHA The National Palliative Care Program 
"Program of Experience in the Palliative Approach" PEPA Fact Sheet
"Guidelines for a Palliative Approach in Residential Aged Care"
"Indigenous Palliative Care Resource Kit" http://www.health.gov.au/internet/wcms/publishing.nsf/Content/palliativecare-pubs-indig-resource.htm
"Palliative Care Curriculum for Undergraduates and post graduates courses"
"Respecting Patient Choices"
For more information go to the DoHA link http://www.seniors.gov.au./internet/wcms/publishing.nsf/Content/palliativecare-pubs-factsheets-workforce.htm. 

Department of Health and Ageing - Research Study into the Educational, Training and Support needs of General Practice in Palliative Care

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