Rural Palliative Care Project

The Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing (DoHA) engaged Australian General Practice Network (AGPN) to manage the Rural Palliative Care (RPC) Project 2008-2010. The RPC Project is one of a number of initiatives designed to achieve the goals of the National Palliative Care Strategy.

The 2008-2010 Rural Palliative Care Project aims to further build upon the successes of the pilot project implemented by the Murrumbidgee Division of General Practice, from which the Griffith Area Palliative Care Services model was established. Subsequently, a further pilot project, managed by AGPN, was funded to assess the transferability of the model into a range of rural settings. The 2003 - 2006 pilot Rural Palliative Care Program supported eight rural general practice networks to further develop and implement collaborative models that, over the three year period, significantly improved the rural communities access to quality, coordinated palliative care.

The announcement of the 2008-2010 Rural Palliative Care Project aims to build upon the successes of both projects and to deliver enhanced access to palliative care services across a broader expanse of rural Australia.

AGPN has also managed the development of the "Resources for a Rural Palliative Care Program". The project developed a web-based Rural Palliative Care Resource Kit. The resource kit has consolidated the resources developed in the RPC pilot program 2003-2006 and will assist Network Members in implementing any new RPC program.

'Rural Palliative Care Resource Kit'

this resource will be continually updated

Recent Additions:

Palliative Care Australia (PCA) developed an active learning module (ALM) entitled, "The Palliative Care Journey for Aged Care Home Residents". PCA was able to provide general practice networks with funding to participate in a train-the-trainer workshop and then conduct the ALM in their area. A number of Network Members were unable to take up the offer for the ALM, for many reasons. As part of their contract obligations PCA would like to determine the reasons why general practice networks were unable to participate. Consequently, PCA is seeking the support of Network Members who did not undertake the ALM training to complete this PCA ALM Survey.


AGPN acknowledges the financial support of the Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing