Victoria's end of life and palliative care framework

We are committed to improving end of life and palliative care for all Victorians, and have released a new end-of-life and palliative care framework. The framework redefines end-of-life care and guides improvements for providers across all sectors, as we redesign our services to be responsive and effective.

The framework sets out a foundation for end of life and palliative care by:

providing clear expectations about how end-of-life and palliative care will be delivered
guiding healthcare, human services, social and community sector practices
identifying actions to ensure end of life and palliative care services are sustainable
ensuring Victorians are provided with safe and effective end-of-life care.

Our vision

All Victorians and their families receive the best possible end of life care that places them at the centre where preferences, values, dignity and comfort are respected and quality of life matters most.

To achieve this vision, the government has developed the following goals in consultation with community and expert representatives:

People experience optimal end of life care.
People’s pain and symptoms are managed using quality interventions.
People’s preferences and values are recognised and respected in their end-of-life care.
Carers are better supported.
People are cared for in their place of choice.
Where possible, people can choose to die in their place of choice.

We will work with communities and services to deliver the right care at the right time and in the right place by:

focusing on people and outcomes
enabling local solutions
equipping the service system to deliver earlier and more connected support
ensuring safety, quality assurance and innovation
using data and evidence for service development and monitoring.

Palliative care service delivery framework

The draft Palliative care service delivery framework articulates how services should be distributed across metropolitan and regional Victoria, and identifies service expectations.