$2.7m Boost for Palliative Care Research, Including Newcastle Study into Medication Delivery

newy.com.au – The NSW Government has committed $2.7 million to seven university research projects aimed at improving end of life and palliative care across the state, announced on 8 August 2025 in Sydney. The projects have begun and will run over three years.

The funding, provided under the World Class End of Life Care commitment, follows an open and competitive application process assessed by a panel that included experts in palliative care, policy and research.

The successful projects span multiple universities and focus areas. The University of Newcastle will study the stability and compatibility of commonly used palliative care medicines delivered by continuous subcutaneous infusion to support practice change. The University of Technology Sydney will lead research into end of life care for refugee communities, and a separate UTS project will strengthen empathetic communication skills in palliative care trainees.

Further work includes the University of NSW evaluating a tailored model of palliative care for people with intellectual disability. The University of Sydney will implement a model of bereavement care for the Palliative Care service across the Nepean Blue Mountains Local Health District. UTS will also pilot a navigation model for NSW palliative care services to support Arabic and Chinese speaking communities, while the University of Wollongong will run IMPACS-NSW, Improving Palliative Care Screening in NSW Hospitals.

“When you have a life-limiting illness, it is an extremely challenging time for patients and their families – but hopefully these research projects can go some way in reducing that burden. This research will translate into improved services and enhanced care for patients, families and carers who receive palliative care in NSW. Personally I am thrilled to see our universities put together such strong applications for such a diverse range of projects, and I would like to acknowledge the hard work that went into each, whether successful or not,” Minister for Health Ryan Park said.

“Research grants like these are critical to improving the care we offer in NSW, especially for end of life patients and their families. Each of these projects address priority research areas that were identified through extensive consultation with the NSW palliative care sector, including clinicians, policy managers, academics and advocacy groups. I would like to congratulate those universities and their staff who were successful in their applications and wish them the best as they begin their projects,” Minister for Medical Research David Harris said.