Palliative care patients and their families in southern NSW now have more options for end of life care, thanks to a collaboration between NSW Ambulance and the region’s largest health agencies.
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The Southern NSW Medicare Local and the Southern NSW Local Health District have joined forces with NSW Ambulance to promote a protocol that allows paramedics to treat palliative patients in their own home on the instructions of their GP rather than transfer them to hospital.
At an event earlier this month to launch the project, SNSWML chief executive officer Kathryn Stonestreet explained that a NSW Ambulance authorised palliative care plan allows the paramedic responding to a Triple Zero (000) call to treat the patient in their own home according to the GP’s prescribed orders detailed in the plan. “This could involve administering additional pain medication or providing respiratory assistance”, she said.
“At the end of life, many people express the wish to be cared for in the familiarity and comfort of their own home and this protocol permits that. We’re very proud to be working with NSW Ambulance and the LHD to increase uptake of this important service.”
According to Ms Stonestreet, the partnership began when the Medicare Local became aware of the NSW Ambulance authorised palliative care plan as part of its work to improve after hours health services for southern NSW communities.
“Together we developed guidelines for GPs and a brochure for palliative care patients which have now been distributed throughout southern NSW,” she said.
NSW Ambulance southern region clinical support manager Mark Gibbs said utilising the resources and networks of the Medicare Local to promote the plan is proving beneficial. “The partnership with the Medicare Local has allowed us to get the plan where it’s needed: in the hands of GPs and palliative care patients,” he said.
“NSW Ambulance attends more palliative care patients per year than any single Local Health District in the State. The authorised care protocol was introduced by NSW Ambulance to support paramedic decision making in meeting the needs of individual patients with specific medical conditions.”
Southern NSW Local Health District palliative care services representative Cherie Puckett said research shows that 76 percent of Australians would prefer to die in their own homes. “However, our most recent statistics on palliative care show that 51 percent of palliative patients died in a hospital setting.
“This collaborative approach to caring for palliative patients demonstrates how services can align to ensure the best possible outcomes for people.
“The palliative care authorised plan allows palliative patients and their families to have options and during end of life care that is incredibly important,” Ms Puckett said.
Ms Stonestreet says the three agencies have worked together to provide a service that will help vulnerable people through difficult times with humanity and care.
“And I’m excited to say that the word is spreading beyond our region. Other Medicare Locals already want to know how they can get involved and my hope is that we can see this fantastic model available far and wide.”
SNSWML after hours coordinator Kristi Payten, Southern LHD nurse manager Cherie Puckett, NSW Ambulance southern zone manager Peter Cutjar, SNSWML CEO Kathryn Stonestreet, Southern LHD palliative care nurse consultant Jackie Clancy, and NSW Ambulance clinical support manager Mark Gibbs.