Latrobe Community Health Service (LCHS) and West Gippsland Healthcare Group (WGHG) provide specialised health care and practical support for people living with a terminal illness.

The palliative care service at Latrobe Community Health Service and West Gippsland Healthcare Group aims to achieve an integrated service across all aspects of care. This is supported by the underlying principles of the Federal Governments Palliative Care Program, which are:

• Care is holistic, multidisciplinary and client-centered;
• Care includes medical, nursing, allied health and volunteer services;
• Support is provided for families and friends, including grief and bereavement support;
• Patients can make informed choices about their care including the type of care and where the care is delivered; and
• Service delivery is seamless between the locations where care is delivered, whether that be in the community or in a health care facility

Three options are available to local General Practitioners (GP) for managing a patient with a palliative condition from services at LCHS and WGHG -

1. Specialised nursing provides care and support through an integrated District Nursing model during weekdays, weekends and public holidays at both locations.
2. Specialist Palliative Care Team works closely with local services and address specific issues such as the management of pain and other symptoms associated with a terminal illness and provide psychological, social and spiritual support where required. The team consists of Palliative Care Physician, specialist nurse and a social worker. The Specialist Palliative Care Team convenes weekly multidisciplinary team meetings with the local palliative care service for newly diagnosed and patients diagnosed with complex issues. The patient’s general practitioner (GP) is invited to participate in the MDT meetings either face to face or via teleconference.  The Specialist Palliative Care Team will be onsite at LCHS and WGHG one day per month – days to be confirmed from April 2010
3. Palliative Care Specialist - Secondary Telephone Consultation Service is available to GPs who require clinical advice for patients with a terminal illness.

The Gippsland Region Palliative Care Consortium, through the Regional Clinical Practice Group have endorsed referral criteria and pathways for local and specialist services.

GP resources for local services

Palliative Care Service Referral, Access & Management Flow Chart for general practitioners (Word)

Palliative Care MBS & Service System Flow Chart for general practitioners (Word)

Resources

Palliative Care Victoria

Other useful resources

The National Breast & Ovarian Cancer Care Centre (NBOCC)

Very Special Kids

Royal Children’s Hospital

Education

PEPA (Program of Experience in the Palliative Approach)

National Cancer Nursing education

Palliative care is an adjunct to ongoing treatment and can delivered from diagnosis to bereavement