First Published on Gympie Times, April 8th 2018.
By Press Release From Wide Bay MP Llew O’Brien
Incredibly 5 years on and we are still fighting to get the State Government to work with us to develop a fair, equitable and transparent funding model for the Little Haven Community Based Palliative Care model.
Sue Manton
The Press Release from 5 years ago.
Productivity Commission recommends the Little Haven model following a national review of end of life care in Australia.
Little Haven Gratitude Walk, Jared Weier, Ray Smith, Sue Manton, Brandy Murley, Peter Anderson, Bronwyn McFarlane, Ray Curry and Narelle Griffiths. Picture: Renee Albrecht
THE high quality service that is delivered by Gympie’s Little Haven Palliative Care has been recognised in the Productivity Commission Inquiry report Introducing Competition and Informed User Choice into Human Services: Reforms to Human Services.
“For decades we’ve known Little Haven provides high quality care to people with terminal illness in the Gympie region,” Wide Bay MP Llew O’Brien said today.
“It’s wonderful to see the Productivity Commission after an extensive review of end of life care across Australia has not only recognised the incredible value of the service, but made national adoption of community based Palliative Care their number 1 recommendation.”
Excerpt from the report showing Community Based Palliative Care as their number 1 reform recommendation for end-of-life care in Australia (this was not included in the Press release or the Gympie Times article).
RECOMMENDATION 4.1
State and Territory Governments should increase the availability of community-based palliative care so that people with a preference to die at home can access support to do so.
“Little Haven Business Manager, Sue Manton is to be congratulated on the three separate submissions to the Inquiry and her appearance before the Commission’s public hearing in Melbourne,” Mr O’Brien said.
“The Productivity Commission Report, which highlights the incredible value of the community based service, is an absolute credit to the Little Haven staff and volunteers and the Gympie community that has supported and been the majority funder of the service for over 37 years.
“Just 35 per cent of Little Haven’s budget comes from the Queensland Government. Without the goodwill of the Gympie community, Little Haven would not be the gold standard of community based palliative care it is today.
Then PM Malcolm Turnbull and Wide Bay MP Llew O’Brien. Picture: contributed
“In home palliative care is not only cost effective, but it also meets the wishes of many people who, when approaching the end of their life, wish to remain in the comfort, security and familiar surrounds of their own home.”
The commission’s report calls for better stewardship by Government in planning and allocation of resources for end of life care.?
“I will continue to support Little Haven’s push for a Government funding model that is equitable and sustainable,” Mr O’Brien said.
“I congratulate everyone at Little Haven for their work in achieving this recognition and encourage the community to continue their strong support of this vital organisation.”
== END OF PRESS RELEASE ==
Read the Commissions final report here.
Read Little Haven’s CEO Sue Manton 3 Submissions to the inquiry. They are still as relevant today as they where 5 years ago.
