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has committed $450,000 to bring culturally appropriate palliative care services to five Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities in the Northern Peninsula Area (NPA) of Cape York as part of an MOU with (NPAFACS) and (Apunipima).

People living in remote Cape York communities 鈥� in particular the five Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities of Bamaga, Seisia, Injinoo, Umagico and New Mapoon 鈥� experience some of the highest levels of chronic disease and poorest health outcomes in Australia yet don鈥檛 have access to local palliative care. The nearest palliative care is more than 1000 km away in Cairns.

St Vincent鈥檚 Health Australia said it responded to a need, raised by NPAFACS through Apunipima, for expert guidance to develop a high-quality, culturally appropriate palliative care service tailored and accessible to the communities of the Cape.

The MOU outlines SVHA鈥檚 commitment, over five years, to achieve in partnership with NPAFACS, Apunipima and the communities of the NPA, the following:

• Participation in the Commonwealth Government鈥檚 palliative care education program ( or PEPA), which includes capacity for palliative care specialists to visit Aboriginal health services to facilitate palliative care learning.
• Provision of advanced palliative care training for local staff.
• Community capacity building through ongoing clinical support.
• Development of a culturally appropriate model of care and a business plan to establish a permanent palliative care service.
• Provision of specialist care and support of palliative care clients via telehealth.

Associate Prof Mark Boughey, deputy director of St Vincent鈥檚 黑料吃瓜群网 Melbourne鈥檚 , said 鈥� first and foremost 鈥� he and his colleagues would listen to the communities about their palliative care needs.

鈥淚t鈥檚 going to be a learning exercise and an exercise in trust-building. We need to listen to the people in the community, and understand what they want from their palliative care service, so that it will cater to the requirements of those who will access it,鈥� he said.

鈥淔rom there, an appropriate service model can be developed, and then local stories will spread about how members of the communities will die respectfully, at home, on country and with family.鈥�

Patricia Yusia, a board member of Apunipima Cape York Health Council, voiced a sigh of relief about the project.

鈥淚t is great to see that St Vincent鈥檚 Health Australia is not only willing to fund this project, but is willing to walk alongside Apunipima and NPAFACS on how we can best help these communities,鈥� said Yusia.

The NPA palliative care project is an extension of an ongoing partnership between St Vincent鈥檚 and Apunipima that already provides primary healthcare services to 11 Cape York communities and advocates for 17 others, including those of the Northern Peninsula Area.

鈥淲ith the highest levels of chronic disease in the country and an average life expectancy of 58 years, there鈥檚 considerable need for high-quality and culturally appropriate end-of-life care in our region,鈥� said Ugari Nona, president, NPAFACS.

鈥淭here are currently no palliative care services north of Cairns, some 1000 km away, and certainly no end-of-life care services appropriate to the cultural requirements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in Cape York.鈥�

For the people of NPA鈥檚 five communities who have a life-limiting illness, accessing end-of-life care means leaving the community, leaving family and country to travel to Cairns.

鈥淚t鈥檚 hard enough for those who are dying to move away to Cairns, but it鈥檚 also very hard for the family who can鈥檛 be with them,鈥� said Councillor Edward Newman, Mayor of the Northern Peninsula Area Regional Council.

鈥淚n most cases, our elders go down to Cairns for palliative care, close to death, and often don鈥檛 return 鈥� and it鈥檚 their family, the community that suffers the burden of them dying away.鈥�

Cllr Newman said St Vincent鈥檚 commitment to help address NPA鈥檚 end-of-life service needs has been a welcome step; however, sustained commitment, for not just the current Elders but the young people who will one day be Elders and Leaders of the communities, it鈥檚 an essential requirement for long-term success.

鈥淭his five-year plan is a good start, and I鈥檓 thankful to have the support of St Vincent鈥檚 and Apunipima. However, to build community capacity to provide culturally appropriate palliative care across NPA in the long term, we鈥檒l need at least a 20-year plan 鈥� a real long-term vision for the future.鈥�

Project oversight will be undertaken by a steering group comprising representatives from Northern Peninsula Area Family and Community Services, Apunipima Cape York Health Council, St Vincent鈥檚 Health Australia and St Vincent鈥檚 黑料吃瓜群网 Melbourne鈥檚 Centre for Palliative Care.