On 27 March 2025, the NSW Legislative Assembly Select Committee on Remote, Rural and Regional Health tabled its second report into health outcomes for people living in regional, rural, and remote (RRR) New South Wales. Palliative care was firmly in the spotlight.
The report follows on from the Committee’s inquiry in 2022 which examined broader health service delivery challenges outside metropolitan areas. This latest report acknowledges progress has been made since the first report in 2022, as well as identifying significant gaps, especially in access to specialist services like palliative care.
Concerns About Planning, Data, and Cultural Safety
Committee Chair, Dr Joe McGirr MP, expressed concern that while NSW Health reports positive progress against recommendations in the original report in 2022, these claims were not always reflected in the experiences of health workers in the sector and patients in regional NSW.
Specifically for palliative care, the report highlights slow progress in three key areas:
1. Establishment of a Palliative Care Taskforce
A Taskforce was recommended to oversee statewide planning, service mapping, and workforce development for palliative care — including ensuring culturally appropriate services for Aboriginal communities. The Committee noted the lack of progress in this area was disappointing.
2. Targeted Funding to Address Inequities
While palliative care investment has increased, the Committee recommended additional targeted funding to specifically address inequities in access for people living in rural and remote NSW.
3. Publication of Palliative Care Data
The Committee urged the urgent publication of palliative care data sets to support service planning and identify where gaps in provision remain — particularly in under-served areas.
What Did Stakeholders Tell the Inquiry?
Submissions to the inquiry from health providers, advocacy groups, and community members reinforced many of these concerns. Palliative Care NSW CEO, Kirsty Blades & President, Felicity Burns appeared at a public hearing for this inquiry on the 31st May 2024.
Some experiences reported to the inquiry included:
– Limited access to specialist palliative care teams in smaller towns and remote communities.
– Challenges for carers in rural areas, often facing long distances to hospitals and limited in-home support.
– Shortages of staff trained in palliative care, including after-hours support.
– The need for culturally safe palliative care for Aboriginal people, delivered close to home, on Country.
Many stakeholders emphasised the importance of community education about palliative care and the role of advance care planning so that people can make informed choices about their end-of-life care.
Progress Recognised
The Committee did acknowledge recent investments in palliative care by NSW Health. These include:
– Increased palliative care nursing positions across rural Local Health Districts.
– Funding for community-based services and telehealth initiatives.
– Development of end-of-life care resources and education for health professionals.
However, the report stresses that without robust planning, accurate data, and attention to cultural safety, these investments risk being unevenly distributed — leaving some communities without the support they need.
Key Findings and Recommendations
The report made three formal findings (Findings 9–11) and three recommendations (Recommendations 13–15) directly relating to palliative care.
These include:
– Calling on NSW Health to urgently establish a Palliative Care Taskforce.
– Recommending targeted funding to address access inequities.
– Recommending the publication of data to guide service planning.
– Recommending improvements in culturally safe end-of-life care, particularly for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
What Happens Next?
The NSW Government is expected to respond to the report’s findings and recommendations in the coming months.
Palliative Care NSW will continue to advocate for equitable, well-planned, and culturally appropriate palliative care for all people across NSW — regardless of where they live.
Thank You to Our Members
Palliative Care NSW thanks all members, organisations, and individuals who contributed to this important inquiry. Your voices are critical in shaping the future of palliative care in NSW.
Read the Full Report
Inquiry into Health Outcomes and Access to Health and Hospital Services in Rural, Regional and Remote New South Wales
Legislative Assembly Select Committee on Remote, Rural and Regional Health
Tabled: 27 March 2025
Written by Sarah Gallo