Palliative Care & Treatment Support

Palliative Care is care and support for people who are living with a life-limiting illness. We help patients and their families. We work to prevent and relieve suffering, and support people to live as fully as possible throughout their illness. We do our best to address symptoms and other concerns – psychological, spiritual, social and practical.

Services provided by the Northern Health Palliative Care team include the:

Inpatient Palliative Care Unit (PCU)
Palliative Care Consultation Service (PCCS)
Palliative Care Outpatient Clinic (for existing Northern Health patients only)

Practitioners wishing to refer a patient for community palliative care should contact the relevant service directly.

Contact details available on:

Palliative Care Victoria website

Practitioners wishing to refer for direct admission to PCU:
Please send your request with all relevant SCTT documentation via facsimile to:

(03) 8405 2489

Palliative Care Outpatient Clinic referrals are available only from within Northern Health at this stage. Alternative options include referral to community palliative care (see above) or seeking advice from the Virtual Specialist Consults palliative care & advance care planning service or Victorian Palliative Care Advisory.

What to expect from the service?

Palliative Care at Northern Health is provided by a team of multidisciplinary specialists, who work to assess and address the specific needs of patients and their loved ones in the face of life-limiting illness. This may be at any stage of illness, right from the time of diagnosis until care during end of life and bereavement. The palliative care team works alongside other professionals, and involvement does not limit medical treatment options that may be available to the patient.

The PCCS provides a consultation-based service for inpatients at any Northern Health location, as well as to Northern Health outpatient clinics, day units, and the Emergency Department at the Northern Hospital.

The PCU provides short-term hospital-based care for patients with specialist palliative care needs, from symptom management and discharge planning, through to end-of-life care. The PCU is located in Ward 3 at the Northern Hospital, Epping.

Palliative Care Outpatient Clinic referrals are accepted on a case-by-case basis upon referral from a Northern Health clinical team.

The Northern Health Palliative Care Service is not able to provide direct care for patients at home, however we work closely with the Community Palliative Care services who deliver this care. If you or your loved one is attending Northern Health and believe that there is a role for engaging with the Palliative Care service, please speak with your treating clinician.