A critical new proposal suggests that a key solution to the chronic overcrowding plaguing Australia’s public hospitals lies not in building more wards, but in fundamentally rethinking how the nation cares for its most vulnerable at the end of life. In its 2026 Budget Submission, Palliative Care Australia (PCA) has put forth a compelling argument that the persistent issue of “bed block” is being significantly worsened by a systemic failure to provide timely and adequate palliative support within the community. According to the organization, a substantial number of patients are admitted to hospitals not for acute medical emergencies, but because they lack the necessary care infrastructure to manage their conditions at home. PCA CEO Camilla Rowland highlighted the stark reality of this late-stage intervention, noting that many individuals enter the hospital system only when their illness has progressed significantly, often because their care preferences were not addressed or because appropriate home-based support was simply unavailable. The data supports this, revealing that, on average, patients first consult with a specialist a mere 15 days before death, a point at which a crisis has often become unavoidable.
A Proactive Shift Toward Community Care
The consensus from across the healthcare sector points toward a necessary and urgent evolution from the current model of late-stage, hospital-based intervention to one centered on early, coordinated community support. Such a proactive approach is championed not only as a more compassionate way to honor the wishes of individuals nearing the end of life but also as an eminently practical strategy for alleviating the immense strain on the healthcare system. The vast majority of Australians, when asked, express a preference to spend their final days in the comfort and familiarity of their own homes. By investing in robust community palliative services, the system can empower patients and their families, providing them with the medical, emotional, and practical support needed to manage symptoms and maintain quality of life outside of a clinical setting. This shift would directly address the root cause of many non-essential hospital admissions, preventing the cycle of crisis-driven care that leads to overflowing emergency departments and lengthy wait times. It represents a move toward a more sustainable and humane system that prioritizes patient dignity while simultaneously creating much-needed capacity within hospitals to treat acute cases.
Systemic Reforms for a Sustainable Future
The implementation of this vision required a series of evidence-based reforms designed to restructure the foundations of end-of-life care. PCA’s submission detailed a multi-pronged strategy that began with a clear redesign of the health system to delineate palliative care responsibilities among hospitals, general practitioners (GPs), and the aged care sector. A crucial component of this plan involved advocating for proper Medicare funding to enable GPs to conduct home visits and deliver other essential palliative services, which are currently under-supported. Furthermore, the proposal called for a significant change in how aged care funding is allocated, suggesting it be based on a resident’s palliative need rather than on difficult and often inaccurate life-expectancy predictions. Finally, the reforms outlined the creation of foundational supports specifically for terminally ill individuals under the age of 65, ensuring they have the resources needed to remain safely at home. By adopting these integrated reforms, the health system could have reduced unnecessary hospitalizations and fostered a more efficient and compassionate framework for end-of-life care.
