Palliative Care
Working together to improve palliative care in South Australia
In early 2022, the Network determined a new direction and have focused their work to understand:
‘What would it be like to experience the best possible palliative care in South Australia?’
The Network identified two key priority areas:
- Workforce sustainability
- Navigation of services.
Two working groups have been established to focus on each priority area and develop initiatives that promote the best possible experience for palliative care patients, their support networks and healthcare workers.
The Working Groups’ members include:
- Consumers
- Community Care
- Rural services
- Emergency Departments
- Palliative Care services
- SA Ambulance Services
- Other clinical speciality services
- Department for Health and Wellbeing.
The Network takes a unique approach to its leadership, being co-led by consumer, Kathryn Hourigan and clinician, Dr Peter Allcroft.
This co-leadership approach recognises the relevance of consumer perspectives in leading improvement and innovation in Palliative Care, and reinforces our commitment to consumer engagement.
Other work
The Network has also partnered with us to develop a Palliative Care Patient Reported Measure for South Australia. This initiative will give patients the opportunity to provide feedback about their health experiences and outcomes, to drive improvements in care and healthcare outcomes.
This valuable feedback will help drive improvements across Palliative Care services in South Australia.
Strategic Framework for Palliative Care
The Statewide Palliative Care Clinical Network (the Network) partnered with the Department for Health and Wellbeing (DHW), to develop the Strategic Framework for Palliative Care in South Australia.
The Framework, delivered in December 2021, was developed to guide and prioritise improvements in the quality and availability of palliative care services for all South Australians.
Read more about South Australia’s Palliative Care Strategic Framework 2022 – 2027 on the SA Health website.
Hear from Dr Peter Allcroft and Kathryn Hourigan about the Statewide Palliative Care Clinical Network as part of the 2022 CEIH Conversation Series
Palliative Care Statewide Clinical Network Steering Committee
Peter Allcroft |
Co-Lead, Palliative Care Clinical Care, FMC |
Kathryn Hourigan |
Co-Lead, Community Consumer Representative |
Adam Monkhouse |
Assistant Director, End of Life Care, Health Services Programs Department for Health and Wellbeing |
Alice Every |
Nursing Director, Aged Care Rehabilitation and Palliative Care, Northern Adelaide Local Health Network |
Arrin Wislang |
Manager Clinical Service, Rural Support Service, Regional Local Health Networks |
David Holden |
Medical Head of Unit, Northern Adelaide Palliative Service, Northern Adelaide Local Health Network |
Deidre Morgan |
Senior Lecturer, Palliative Care, Flinders University |
Elizabeth Fallas |
Nurse Practitioner Palliative Care, Country Specialist Palliative Care Services |
Ruth Fernandez |
Principal Project Officer DHW |
Helen Stone |
State and Territory Manager SA/NT, Pharmaceutical Society of Australia |
Kate Swetenham |
Clinical Lead End of Life Care Team, Department for Health and Wellbeing |
Lesley King |
Senior Services and Sector Capacity Officer, Aged and Community Care Providers Association |
Linda Foreman |
Palliative Medicine Specialist and Consultant Adelaide Palliative Care, Central Adelaide Palliative Care Service |
Mark Harris |
Consumer/Carer Representative |
Mary Cossich |
Medical Head of Unit, SA Paediatric Palliative Care Service, Womens and Childrens Hospital |
Rebecca May |
RN, Neonatal Intensive Care, Womens and Childrens Hospital |
Shyla Mills |
CEO Palliative Care SA |
Sonia Schutz |
Rural General Practitioner, Palliative Care |
Sunny Traverse |
Director Residential Aged Care, Bene Aged Care |
Tim To |
Head of Unit, Geriatric and Palliative Medicine, Southern Adelaide Local Health Network |
Tracy Johnstone |
Consumer/Carer Representative |
Network Co-Lead
Kathryn Hourigan
Network Co-Lead
Dr Peter Allcroft
National Palliative Care 2023
National Pallative Care week is held on 21 May – 27 May 2023.
This year’s theme is “Matters of Life and Death” and shines a light on the people at the heart of quality palliative care – our workforce and volunteers.
To learn more and see how you may get involved this year, visit the Palliative Care South Australia website.
Palliative care video series
The Network Co-Leads, Kathryn Hourigan and Dr Peter Allcroft have developed a series of videos to increase community awareness of palliative care, discussing some of the difficult concerns and busting several myths.
To watch this series, see Raising awareness and busting myths about palliative care.
Documents and resources
Resources
Want to know more?
If you’d like to find out more about the Statewide Palliative Care Clinical Network email us at CEIHPalliativeCare@sa.gov.au.