Aged Care Review Urged to Address Delays in Palliative Support
27 Oct 2026
Palliative Care Australia (PCA) is calling for changes to ensure people receive the right help when they need it, rather than waiting until their condition worsens.
PCA has urged Aged Care and Seniors Minister Sam Rae to make palliative care a key part of the Government’s independent review of aged care classifications and waiting priorities. The organisation also wants palliative care specialists included in the review’s expert advisory group.
PCA Chief Executive Officer Dr Chris Hatherly said the review must recognise that some people cannot afford to wait for support. Delays can leave people without essential care, place extra pressure on families and carers, and increase the risk of avoidable hospital stays.
PCA has received reports of people with life-limiting illnesses being given lower support classifications than their needs require. Some have also been placed in the standard priority group, where waiting times are typically 10 months or longer, despite having serious care needs and a short life expectancy.
The organisation is also concerned about people using the Support at Home program who have significant palliative care needs but do not qualify for the End-of-Life Pathway or cannot show that they meet its requirements.
Dr Hatherly said people could experience severe symptoms, reduced mobility and difficulty with daily activities well before the final months of their lives. He said support should be available when these needs begin, rather than being delayed until death is closer.
For people with terminal illnesses, long waits can reduce their opportunity to spend time at home with loved ones.
PCA has asked the Government to:
- Include palliative care needs in the review’s terms of reference.
- Appoint palliative care specialists to the expert advisory group.
- Examine how assessments identify palliative care needs and determine the right level of support and priority, including for people who do not qualify for the End-of-Life Pathway.
Dr Hatherly also called for a clear process to identify people who need a dedicated palliative care assessment, referral to the right clinical services and assessors with the skills to recognise changing care needs.
He said people with advanced or rapidly progressing life-limiting illnesses should receive the same urgency in assessment and support as people with motor neurone disease, for whom the Government has recognised the need for faster assessment and prioritisation.
PCA also stressed that uncertainty about how long someone has to live should not prevent them from receiving care.
The organisation has offered to nominate suitably qualified palliative care experts to help with the review.
Aged Care Review Urged to Address Delays in Palliative Support
Source: Palliative Care Australia (PCA).