Palliative Care Queensland

The Ambulance Wish Program

Check out our most recent coverage piece from 9 News Australia and 7 News here!

Ambulance Wish Queensland Kicks Off National Palliative Care Week with Mega Wish for patients at Princess Alexandra Hospital

Event: Mega Ambulance Wish Afternoon Tea

When: 21 May 2024 from 2-4pm

Where: The Atrium Garden, Princess Alexandra Hospital, Brisbane

RSVP: media confirmation of hospital attendance is required via 0413 780 545 or katie@croftpr.com

Patients and their families at Princess Alexandra Hospital will be treated to Palliative Care Queensland’s biggest-ever ‘Mega’ Ambulance Wish celebration yet on Tuesday, May 21, 2024 - as the hospital’s Atrium Garden transforms into a magical afternoon during National Palliative Care Week.

The ‘Mega Wish’, part of PCQ’s Ambulance Wish Queensland program, is set to include a petting zoo, live music, and a morning of fine food and sunshine for palliative care patients and their families and staff – creating beautiful memories for all.

It’s part of week-long string of National Palliative Care Week celebration events from 19 to 25 May 2024, celebrating ‘people at the heart of quality palliative care’. This includes:

• ‘Light Up Queensland’ activities where Queensland monuments like the Storey Bridge light up orange in support of palliative care from 19 May

• King George Square’s Awareness Community Event on Friday 24 May with an opportunity to see the iconic Ambulance Wish ambulance

• Ambulance Wish Gala Ball this Saturday 25 May celebrating and fundraising for palliative care services including the Ambulance Wish program.

More about the ‘Mega’ Ambulance Wish celebration

Since 2019, PCQ has granted over 130 wishes for Queenslanders living with life-limiting illnesses via its Ambulance Wish Queensland program, including Bev, who’s been one past patient of the PA Hospital who in August 2023, was able to meet her favourite AFL team, the Brisbane Lions as her wish, before she passed in October the same year.

From 2pm on Tuesday, 21 May 21 2024 Palliative Care Queensland CEO Ms Louise O’Neill will also acknowledge the work of the Queensland Ambulance Service with many of their paramedics volunteering their time to support patients with their Ambulance Wish program – whether it’s a visit home to see the beach with their families for the last time, or to meet their favourite team.

This includes Louise Durham, Nurse Practitioner who supported Bev on her wish last year.

“Hosting our biggest-ever Mega Ambulance Wish is an honour for us at PCQ – especially at the PA Hospital where we’ve helped create beautiful ‘last wishes’ for so many patients and their loved ones,” Ms O’Neill said.

“Our Mega Wish will be an afternoon sharing beautiful moments with families and those volunteers and staff who do so much for patients and palliative care networks. It’s to acknowledge and celebrate the doctors, nurses, allied health and spiritual care staff and carers across Queensland who support people with life-limiting illnesses.

“Held during National Palliative Care week, it will also highlight just how important Ambulance Wish Queensland is to bring joy to Queenslanders experiencing life limiting illnesses - and why this program, and other palliative care initiatives like the services at PA hospital, are vital for Queenslanders. The sector urgently needs more funding support from governments and the wider community to continue growing to support an increasing number of people living with life-limiting illnesses and at the end of their lives.”

Princess Alexandra Hospital Executive Director Dr Jeremy Wellwood said granting this “Mega Wish” shows what quality palliative care looks like from volunteers, all the way through to patients, families, the services and the community.

“We’re so grateful to partner with PCQ’s Ambulance Wish program for this beautiful afternoon celebration. But we also recognise, there is still so much to be done to ensure palliative care is high-quality and accessible for all Queenslanders.”

Calls for more funding for palliative care in Queensland and PCQ services including Ambulance Wish

The need for investment to improve palliative care resourcing for Queenslanders continues to increase, in proportion to the increasing population. From a base of 5.3 million in 2023, the state’s population is expected to reach between 6.8 million and 9.8 million by 2071. As a proportion of the total population, people over 65 are expected to increase from around 17% in 2022 to over 25% in 2071. Of the 38,000 people who sadly die in Queensland each year only a portion of those is able to access adequate palliative care services.

“We are so grateful for the amount of money that has already been committed to this cause under the palliative and end-of-life care strategy, but more is needed to provide vital assistance to hospices, and specialist and community palliative care,” said Ms O’Neill. 

In April 2024, PCQ made its budget submission with seven clear priorities, requiring a minimum of 21.62 million dollars over the next two years, and 18.9 million dollars every year after. These sustained investments would see reform in specialist palliative care; expansion of access to hospices and community palliative care; and support for our rapidly ageing population.

2024 Palliative Care in Queensland Priorities:

1. Increase access to palliative care for Queenslanders under 65

2.  Increase funding and support for palliative care services in the community and hospices

3. Continue funding quality palliative care and dignified end-of-life care for Queenslanders accessing aged care

4. Grow initiatives that educate and engage the community to build compassionate communities

5. Increase resources and funding directed toward grief and bereavement services and spiritual care

6. Prioritise funding, education, training and recruitment for a more culturally diverse palliative care workforce

7. Improve community pharmacy support and services

Media opportunity

Media personnel are invited to attend the “Mega Wish” afternoon tea in the Atrium Garden at Princess Alexandra Hospital, for a special afternoon of memory making from 2pm to 4pm. This will be an amazing opportunity for palliative care patients to soak up precious time with their loved ones, enjoying delicious food, live music, and a petting zoo. Speeches will be made by PCQ CEO Louise O’Neill and PAH Executive Director Dr Jeremy Wellwood and Director of Metro South Public Health Unit Dr Karen Slater.

More about Bev’s story

Photos and Videos from Bev’s wish are available and Bev’s full story is here.

Media contact

Katie Martel, Croft PR, 0413 780 545, katie@croftpr.com

*ENDS*

More about Palliative Care Queensland and its flagship Ambulance Wish program - giving hope, comfort and dignity to those experiencing serious illness

Palliative Care Queensland is a non-profit organisation founded in 1988 supporting Queenslanders of any age, experiencing serious illness – as well as their families, carers, specialists and generalist healthcare professionals - with access to trusted, considerate palliative care in Queensland.

 PCQ’s belief is every single human deserves to live every day until their last - helping Queenslanders with access to quality palliative care that’s holistic and encompasses the individual’s social, emotional, physical, and spiritual needs.

 Among the many programs and work they do is their Ambulance Wish Program, helping Queenslanders of any age, experiencing serious illness and their loved ones, fulfil their last ‘wish’ – whether it’s a visit home one last time with family and friends, sitting by the ocean, or experiencing their dream of meeting the Brisbane Lions team.

 The program started recently in 2019, with the team now having helped over 130 Queenslanders have their wishes met plan – and many more urgently needed.

 Ambulance Wish gives Queenslanders living with a life-limiting condition access to the planning, coordination, specialist transport and clinical care the need to fulfil their last wish. This is done with PCQ’s volunteer paramedic ‘Wish’ team – using Qld Ambulance Service decommissioned ambulances in Brisbane and Townsville. Two more are on the way for Sunshine Coast and Toowoomba.

 You can see more about the beautiful stories from those helped, and their volunteers here.

More about Palliative Care:

• “By 2026 Queensland’s population will increase to 5.7 million, an increase of about 880,000 people. Of those people, one third will be aged 65 or older - an increase of approximately 300,000 older Queenslanders. The State’s changing age profile will impact the demand for GP and hospital services, community-based support and residential aged care and as a result, increased the need for palliative care.”

• The number of palliative care-related hospitalisations is increasing at a faster rate than for all hospitalisations – a 23% increase compared with a 12% overall increase over the five years up to 2020-21.”

• Generally, palliative care funding can only be accessed for patients who have less than three months to live. This is the result of specialist palliative care services in Queensland being forced to severely limit their service delivery, often excluding patients with non-cancer diagnoses and those in residential aged care facilities.

• Indigenous patients rarely access palliative care services for many reasons, often the result of a severe lack of community service capacity.