Clinical Networks in Victoria

Palliative Care update

The Palliative Care Clinical Network (PCCN) was established in July 2010 to provide clinical leadership in the implementation of policy directions and program initiatives in Victoria. These include:

• Strengthening palliative care: policy and strategic directions 2011-15
• Service delivery framework and service capability framework
• Clinical service improvement program.

The Palliative Care team is pleased to announce that Associate Professor Mark Boughey, Director Palliative Medicine at St Vincent's Health has been appointed as the Clinical Lead for the PCCN. The Clinical Lead and the members of the PCCN leadership group have a range of experience across paliative care and related sectors.

One off funding has been made available to undertake the following priority PCCN projects. These are:

• A review of palliative care clinical tools and outcome measures to inform PCCN deliberations regarding recommendations for introducing the consistent use of clinical tools across the state (Lead agency - Centre for Palliative Care). This project is due for completion April 2012
• A review of palliative care clinical indicators for pain and the identification of tools for the assessment and management of pain (Lead agency - Pain and Palliative Care Service, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre). Final report due February 2012
• The development of a statewide bereavement support framework and guidelines for palliative care services (Lead agency - Australian Centre for Grief and Bereavement in partnership with Centre for Palliative Care). Final report due April 2012
• The end of life care pathways project final report providing practical solutions to enable the introduction of pathways in health services in Victoria is now available on the Centre for Palliative Care's website. The Department has provided funding to the Centre for Palliative Care for a time-limited program of coordination for Victorian services wishing to implement EOLC pathways. It is expected that the Victorian End-of-life care pathways Coordination program (VEC) will commence in January 2012.End of life care pathways in Victoria. (Lead agency: Centre for Palliative Care Education and Research).

The PCCN also convenes triage and endorsement working groups, hosts community-of-practice forums, maintains strong relationships with the palliative care consortia regional clinical advisory groups, and has links with other clinical networks and the Palliative Care Research Network Victoria.

Further information

Jo Hall
Program Manager
Telephone: (61 3) 9096 2138