Palliative care services in Australia

In 2022–23, 13,900 people received at least one Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS)-subsidised palliative medicine attendances and/or case conferences provided by palliative medicine physicians or specialists, at a national rate of 53 people per 100,000 population. Among people receiving these services (Figure 2):

• Slightly more were males – 7,100 males compared with 6,800 females (or 54 per 100,000 males compared with 52 per 100,000 females, respectively).
• 3 in 4 (76%) were aged 65 and over – the population rate increased steeply from age 55 (from 61 to 580 per 100,000 population between the age groups of 55–64 and 85 and over). Only 4.1% were aged under 45.
• Those living in Major cities were about 5 times as likely to receive these services as those living in Remote and very remote areas – 59 per 100,000 population in Major cities compared with 12 per 100,000 in Remote and very remote areas. It should be noted that the vast majority of employed palliative medicine physicians and nurses work in Major cities. For further details, see Palliative care workforce.
• Queensland and Western Australia had the highest population rate at 71 per 100,000 population, and South Australia had the lowest at 6.6 per 100,000 population. 
• The population rate varied across the Primary Health Networks (PHNs) areas, ranging from 3.1 per 100,000 population in Country South Australia PHN area to 165 per 100,000 population in the New South Wales Northern Sydney PHN area (Table 2).

Note that the data for people receiving palliative medicine attendances and/or case conferences in Australian Capital Territory and Northern Territory are not presented due to small numbers.  

Figure 2: People receiving MBS-subsidised palliative medicine attendances and/or case conferences provided by palliative medicine physicians or specialists, 2022–23