Palliative Care Australia (PCA), the peak body for palliative care in Australia, has injected new ideas into the debate on how to relieve “bed block” in public hospitals in its 2026 Federal Budget Submission.
PCA CEO Camilla Rowland said palliative care is a practical, compassionate way to free up hospital beds while giving people the care they need at the end of life.
“Hospital spending is much higher for people in their last year of life. While many need to be in hospital, some end up there because they haven’t had the right care early enough, or because their wishes have not been respected,” Ms Rowland said.
“On average, people first see a specialist palliative care service just 15 days before they die. That is far too late. We can, and must, do better.”
Ms Rowland said all of Palliative Care Australia’s 2026 Federal Budget proposals would make a contribution to relieving bed block in hospitals around Australia, by shifting care to the community where people want to be.
PCA’s proposals are designed to keep people well-supported at home or in aged care, instead of in a hospital bed that should be available for emergency or acute care. PCA is calling on the Federal Government to:
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Redesign the health system of tomorrow so roles and responsibilities for palliative care are clear across hospitals, general practice and aged care
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Fund GPs appropriately to make home visits and to do vital palliative care work that Medicare doesn’t currently recognise
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Base aged care funding on palliative care need, not on trying to predict life expectancy, which is very difficult even for experienced doctors
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Provide Foundational Supports at home for people under 65 with a terminal illness, so they can stay safely at home instead of remaining in hospital because there is no help available.
“We’re asking government to redesign and resource the health system to meet the growing need, so it’s crystal clear who is responsible for delivering palliative care, and how,” Ms Rowland said.
“These are realistic, targeted reforms that will reduce unnecessary hospital admissions, speed up safe discharge, and ease the ‘bed block’ that is crippling our hospitals – while giving Australians much better care at the end of life. Palliative Care Australia wants to partner with the Federal Government and all jurisdictions on these solutions so we can make a real difference for patients, families and the health system.”
Notes to Editors
Read Palliative Care Australia's (PCA’s) 2026 Federal Budget Submission – see full version here and two-page summary version here.
Australian Institute of Health and Welfare data shows that each day more than 400 Australians die of a life-limiting illness, yet more than three in five do not receive specialist palliative care at any stage.
On average, people who do receive specialist palliative care first do so just 15 days before death.
Palliative Care Australia’s 2026 Federal Budget Submission presents investment priorities that will all contribute to relieving “bed block” in Australia’s public hospitals by:
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Updating the National Palliative Care Service Development Guidelines to clarify roles and responsibilities for delivering palliative care
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Strengthening palliative care in aged care by:
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Removing the 16-week time limit on participation in the End-of-Life Pathway.
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Basing access to the End-of-Life Pathway on need, not life expectancy.
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Commissioning an independent evaluation of the impact of prognosis-based eligibility on access to aged care, as recommended by the Inspector-General of Aged Care.
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Securing funding for the Comprehensive Palliative Care in Aged Care (CPCiAC) measure, matched by states and territories and due to expire in June 2026.
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Better recognise palliative care delivered through primary care via a new practice payment to cover palliative care activities not covered by Medicare.
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Establishing a pilot program of foundational, non-clinical supports at home for people under 65 with a terminal illness whose needs are not met by the NDIS or aged care, to help them remain at home and avoid extended hospital stays or early entry to residential care.
About us:
Palliative Care Australia is the national peak body for palliative care.
Contact details:
Contact Jillian Marsh in the PCA communication team on 0413 160 333 or email [email protected] and [email protected]
