Overview

Palliative care aims to prevent and relieve suffering and improve the quality of life of people (adults, children and their families) facing problems associated with life-limiting illness. Palliative care can be delivered in almost all settings where health care is provided, by a wide range of health and community providers, is not limited to any specific condition, can be delivered at any stage of illness, and can accompany curative treatments.

Featured reports

Latest findings

14,500 people received 69,100 palliative medicine attendance and case conference services in 2021–22

There was a 29% increase in palliative care-related hospitalisations between 2015–16 and 2021–22

1.3 million palliative care-related prescriptions were provided to 453,300 people in 2021–22

Almost 1 in 2 children who died in 2021 with a life-limiting condition received palliative care at a children’s hospital

Children in the study population lived an average of 150km away from the hospital at which they received care

7 in 8 children from the study population died in the family’s end-of-life location goal