Palliative care improves the quality of life of patients and their families facing problems associated with life-threatening illness.
We aim to prevent and relieve suffering by carefully treating pain and other problems – physical, psychosocial and spiritual.
Many people living with advanced cancer can benefit from palliative care services. There is published evidence that seeing the palliative care team can even help patients to live longer and better.
How palliative care can help
Palliative care can improve symptoms and help you and your family to achieve the best possible quality of life throughout your illness.
If family members are finding illness difficult to cope with, the palliative care team is available to help find ways to assist.
How we deliver our care
Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, The Royal Melbourne Hospital and The Royal Women’s Hospital partner to deliver a comprehensive and coordinated palliative care service across the Parkville Precinct.
Patient care within the Parkville Integrated Palliative Care Service is delivered by experienced medical, nursing and allied health clinicians across the precinct addressing the needs of particular patient groups.
Our clinicans and nursing consultants work across both Peter Mac and The Royal Melbourne Hospital as an integrated service.
For more information please see the Parkville Integrated Palliative Care Service brochure.
Service times
You can see a palliative care specialist for an outpatient appointment on the same day as your other appointments or treatments. We want you to spend as much time away from the hospital as you can!
The consultation team can also see you as an inpatient while you are in hospital.
Referral information
Palliative care is available at any stage of your illness. Your treating team can organise for you to see us, either as in inpatient while you are in hospital, or as an outpatient.
Community palliative care teams can visit people with life-limiting illnesses and their families at home. This is a free service. The Palliative Care Victoria website will tell you which team sees patients in your town or suburb. The community palliative care team aims to keep you at home and out of hospital as much as possible.
Contact us
Pain and palliative care
Phone: 03 8559 7960
Related experts
Dr Corry de Neef
Dr Sadie Dunn
Dr Nicola Atkin
Dr Sarah Charlton
Prof Jenny Phillip
Dr Aaron Wong
Medicinal Cannabis: Some people and carers have asked us about medicinal cannabis to treat their cancer related symptoms. We have developed an information sheet that we hope you will find useful.
