More Australians are receiving palliative care, with service use and expenditure continuing to rise across the health system, according to new Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) data released today.
The report, Palliative care services in Australia, shows that palliative care continues to play a critical role in supporting people with life‑limiting illness, particularly older Australians, with activity increasing in hospitals, outpatient settings and Medicare‑subsidised services.
'Palliative care supports people and their families at some of the most vulnerable moments in their lives,' AIHW spokesperson Dinesh Indraharan said.
In 2024-25, around 15,900 people received Medicare‑subsidised palliative medicine attendance* and case conference services*, with more than 78,000 services delivered nationally. Almost 4 in 5 people receiving services were aged 65 and over.
Hospital‑based palliative care activity has also grown steadily over time, with palliative care‑related hospitalisations increasing by 46% between 2015-16 and 2023-24, reflecting the expanding role of palliative care within Australia's health system as the population ages.
In 2024-25, 1.6 million palliative care‑related prescriptions were dispensed to around 488,000 people, with pain relief medicines accounting for 80% of these prescriptions.
'Pain management is central to quality palliative care,' Mr Indraharan said.
'While the number of people receiving palliative care-related medications has remained relatively stable over time with only a modest decrease in the past year, the number of prescriptions per person has increased, suggesting a rising complexity of care needs.'
Most Medicare‑subsidised specialist palliative care services were delivered in consulting rooms or hospitals, while around 12% were provided through case conferences. Data limitations mean these figures do not capture non‑specialist palliative care or community‑based services delivered outside specialist Medicare items.
Spending on palliative care has also increased across multiple parts of the health system.
In 2023-24, public hospitals that reported data spent $666.7 million on admitted patient palliative care, accounting for 16% of all subacute care costs. In the same year, $218.9 million was spent on non‑admitted palliative care, with expenditure in this area almost doubling since 2019-20, reflecting increased use of outpatient care.
Australian Government expenditure in 2024-25 has also risen, including:
- $6.8 million on Medicare‑subsidised palliative medicine attendances and case conferences
- $40.4 million on palliative care‑related medicines through the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme, with most spending related to pain relief therapies.
How Australia is tracking against national palliative care objectives
Alongside the services report, the AIHW has also released updates to the National palliative care measures report, examining progress against key objectives of the National Palliative Care Strategy.
The report shows that most national palliative care measures have either improved or remained stable since 2018, indicating steady progress under the strategy. Measurable improvements were observed in areas such as timely care and workforce capacity.
However, the report also highlights ongoing gaps.
'A full national picture of palliative care quality and equity is still emerging, with limited or no national data currently available for measures such as cultural safety, advance care planning, preferred place of death and the proportion of people who receive palliative care when needed,' Mr Indraharan said.
'These new reports coincide with National Palliative Care Week, a reminder that quality palliative care plays a vital role in supporting people, and that understanding service activity and outcomes is part of ensuring care is available when and where it's needed,' Mr Indraharan said.
*Medicare‑subsidised palliative medicine attendance and case conference services refer to consultations and formal multidisciplinary case conferences provided by palliative medicine specialists and claimed under specific Medicare Benefits Schedule items. They represent only part of the palliative care delivered across the health system.
