Palliative care can help anyone who has a serious incurable illness. It is there to help you live as fully and as comfortably as possible.
It can help improve your quality of life. It can also help someone who is nearing the end of their life and is dying, as well as their family and/or carers.
About this service
Our Palliative Care Specialist Service is there to:
- Help relieve your pain and other symptoms such as nausea and shortness of breath.
- Help you achieve the best quality of life for as long as possible.
- Make sure your physical, social, cultural and spiritual needs are met.
- Support your family and carers.
- Help you make decision about your ongoing care.
- Help provide support when you or a loved one is nearing end of life and dying, and in bereavement.
- Refer you to support services including counselling and grief support.
Where possible we will work with other services to provide you with palliative care and/or end of life care in the place that works for you and your family. This may be:
- at home
- in a hospital
- in an aged care (nursing) home or
- in a hospice.
Who we care for
Our service is available for patients who are referred to us from a GP or within Canberra Health Services who reside in the ACT and regional surrounds.
We offer clinical assessments for free if you have a Medicare Card or an Asylum Seeker Card.
Some supports, medicines and interventions may have additional costs associated with them.
How to access this service
Your GP, doctor, nurse, social worker or Aboriginal Liaison Officer at Canberra Hospital can organise for you to access our service. Outpatient consultations with our palliative care service usually require a doctor’s referral and we will discuss this with you if you don’t have one.
We will contact you by phone with your initial appointment details within one week of receiving your referral.
If you are a currently receiving, or recently received, a cancer treatment through the Canberra Region Cancer Centre and have urgent palliative care needs, ask the doctors or nurses looking after you to contact our Rapid Assessment Palliative Service (RAPS).
What to expect
Your doctor or health professional will send us a referral on your behalf. We will review the referral and a decide how urgently you need to see us.
We will call you with your appointment details.
If you are an inpatient (admitted to hospital) we will see you in your hospital room.
What to bring to your appointment
- Any letters or correspondence from your GP
- List of medicines you are currently taking (or the boxes), including medicines you have bought without a prescription, such as herbal supplements and vitamins.
Where we’re located
- If you're an inpatient, we will see you in your hospital room.
- If you are seeing us as an outpatient, we will see you in our clinic rooms located near radiation oncology on the ground floor (Level 1) of the Canberra Region Cancer Centre, Building 19.
We have directions to the Canberra Region Cancer Centre and Canberra Hospital.
