Download - Palliative Care Australia

PRESIDENT’S REPORT
Welcome to the Autumn
2006 edition of PCA News.
With the New Year upon
us, 2006 is already shaping
up as another excellent year
for achievements across
the palliative care sector,
supported by our peak body,
Palliative Care Australia.
The work of our sector
in 2005 was of such a
Professor David Currow, President,
Palliative Care Australia
high standard that seven Australians received Order of
Australia Medals for their services in palliative care. These
people are: Beris Bird (Vic), Ann Aichroy (NSW), Rosalyn
Glow (Vic), Margaret Graham (SA), Susan Miller (NSW),
Michael Noel (NSW), and Dora Thomson (Tas). I wish to
extend my congratulations to these recipients and thank
them for their outstanding commitment and services to
their communities and the palliative care sector. It is very
pleasing to have the extraordinary efforts of our colleagues
recognised in this way.
This year, PCA is embarking on a new program of activities
to further understand and strengthen the integration
of the primary care and palliative care sectors. This
program involves a series of seven subprojects, focussing
on different aspects of education in opioid therapy and
palliative care awareness. A detailed brief of this program
is in this edition of PCA news.
The goals achieved to date in integrating the aged care
and palliative care sectors, through the Introducing the
Guidelines for a Palliative Approach in Residential Aged
Care Facilities projects has received a further boost. I am
pleased to report that the Guidelines have been endorsed
for a second edition by the National Health and Medical
Research Council (NHMRC), a virtually unprecedented
achievement. I wish to acknowledge Professor Linda
Krisjansen and her team at the Edith Cowan University.
The 2nd second edition of these Guidelines will be
distributed shortly.
One project which has concluded is the paediatric palliative
care project. This project culminated in the launch of
Journeys – Palliative Care for Children and Teenagers, at the
Bear Cottage Children’s Hospice in Sydney. I had the
privilege of attending this launch with Dr John Collins. We
are very encouraged by the reports of how well Journeys
has been received by
health professionals,
families and carers. The
PCA website has a link
to ensure easy access to
this resource.
Of course the project
work undertaken by
PCA forms only a
component of the total
work by the palliative
care sector, resourced through the National Palliative Care
Program. This program allocated a total of $55 million
over 4 years and concludes on 30 June 2006. While news
on future funding allocations will not be known until
the Federal Budget in May this year, I recommend that
everyone reflects on the incredible range of activities that
have been successfully delivered across the priority areas
of this program:
- better access to medicines
- support for families and the community
- building the workforce
- models of care across the country
- building the evidence,
- building and using the information.
An article outlining the current activities under the
National Palliative Care Programs is in this edition of
PCA news.
I confirm that the PCA Executive have appointed an
interim Executive Director, Donna Daniell, following the
resignation of Ms Angela Magarry. I wish to formally
acknowledge the efforts Angela made whilst in the role
and thank her for her commitment to PCA and palliative
care in Australia.
I look forward to PCA Council meeting in Canberra for
our first meeting of 2006 to be held in March. PCA Council
members from all over Australia will meet to discuss PCA’s
strategic direction and policy. I invite you to contact PCA
or your PCA member organisation to discuss your views
and aspirations for the sector.
Finally I wish you well in your planning endeavours for
National Palliative Care Week from 21 May 2006 and
thank everyone for their ongoing support.
Professor David Currow
President
Palliative Care Australia
Dr John Collins and Professor David
Currow at the launch of Journeys:
Palliative Care for Children and Teenagers
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