Margaret Deerain BBus

The Australian primary care system is currently in the storm of several government reviews which could reform the way primary care is delivered in the future. In the Primary Care Division of the Department of Health and Aged Care, reviews are examining general practice incentives and after-hours primary care policies and programs.

There are over 7 million Australians (28%) living outside of major cities,1 and these people have poorer health outcomes and poorer access to and use of primary health care services.2 Just like most areas of health, there are common barriers to accessing end-of-life health care for rural Australians including geographical distance to services, lack of stable workforce and difficulty accessing culturally appropriate care.3-5 While it is more difficult to access end-of-life health care for...