Palliative care services in Australia

Between 2013–14 and 2022–23 (Figure 3):

• The number of Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS)-subsidised palliative medicine attendance and case conference services provided by palliative medicine physicians or specialists increased by 26% (71,900 to 90,600) between 2013–14 and 2018–19 and then declined by 27% (90,600 to 66,300) over the next 4 years to 2022–23. This was broadly consistent with the pattern observed for the number of people receiving these services over the same period – increasing by 33% (12,300 to 16,500) between 2013–14 and 2018–19 before declining by 15% (16,500 to 13,900) in the following 4 years to 2022–23.
• These patterns were driven by trends in the number of palliative medicine attendances, given that these services accounted for the vast majority (87%) of palliative medicine attendance and case conference services in 2022–23. The number of palliative medicine attendances increased by 23% (65,900 to 80,900) from 2013–14 to 2018–19 and then declined by 29% (80,900 to 57,600) over the next 4 years to 2022–23. The same pattern emerged for the number of people receiving these services – increasing by 25% (11,400 to 14,300) between 2013–14 and 2018–19 before declining by 23% (14,300 to 11,100) in the following 4 years to 2022–23.
•  For palliative medicine case conferences, a similar pattern emerged for the number of services – increasing by 82% (6,000 to 10,900) from 2013–14 to 2017–18 before declining in the next 5 years to 2022–23 (10,900 to 8,700 or a 20% decline). However, the trend in the number of people receiving these services showed a different pattern – increasing each year between 2013–14 and 2021–22 (3,100 to 5,600 or an 81% increase) and then declining slightly by 6.8% (to 5,300), in the following year to 2022–23.
• The decline in the number of palliative medicine attendance and case conference services from 2018–19 to 2022–23, differed from the trend observed for all specialist attendances, which had increased each year between 2013–14 and 2020–21 (a 26% increase) before declining slightly in the following year (a 3.4% decline) and then remaining relatively stable between 2021–22 and 2022–23. This pattern was broadly consistent with the number of people receiving these specialist services.

The falls in the number of palliative medicine attendance and case conference services and people receiving them since 2019–20 may reflect the effect of coronavirus measures including lockdowns and restrictions to contain the spread of the virus and its variants during 2020 and 2022. For more information, see:

• 2022 and 2023 edition of this report 
• Impacts of COVID-19 on Medicare Benefits Scheme and Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (AIHW 2022).

Figure 3: Trends in MBS-subsidised palliative medicine attendance and case conference services provided by palliative medicine physicians or specialists and people receiving them, 2013–14 to 2022–23

Reference

AIHW (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare) (2022) Impacts of COVID-19 on Medicare Benefits Scheme and Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme: quarterly data, AIHW, Australian Government, accessed 10 February 2024.