Paediatric palliative care services in Queensland: an exploration of the barriers, gaps and plans for service development

Background The Paediatric Palliative Care Service (PPCS) of the Royal Children's Hospital (RCH) in Brisbane was established in 2009. This service has evolved from the hospital's paediatric oncology palliative care service and works collaboratively with primary health care teams in a consultative model. Aims With the expanded scope of caring for all children diagnosed with life-threatening conditions in mind, a forum was held in late 2009 to identify barriers and gaps and to plan for the future of the PPCS. Design Stakeholders, including medical staff specialists (24%), nurses (32%), allied health (24%), community support group representatives (16%), corporate policy representatives (2%) and bereaved parents (2%) from South East Queensland (SEQ) were invited to attend. Results A number of barriers were highlighted including: equity in access to services; awareness, understanding and fear associated with this work; experience of health professionals; funding and resources. A lack of respite options, the need for further education, improved collaboration and improved communication between services were identified as existing gaps. Conclusion The forum provided an opportunity to gather expert and experienced health professionals in paediatric palliative care to discuss the issues and assist in the planning for the future direction of the PPCS. This report may provide a valuable insight for other services