Australians embrace 'big questions' during National Palliative Care Week (10-16 May)
Palliative Care Australia
National Palliative Care Week 2026 draws to a close today after reaching millions of Australians and sparking strong national engagement around death, dying and care at the end of life.
This year’s NPCW campaign theme Getting to the heart of it: Big Questions. Real Answers was embraced by people across the country, who took part in events, downloaded resources and joined conversations aimed at making palliative care better understood and more openly discussed.
Palliative Care Australia Interim CEO Simon Waring said the response shows a clear shift in how Australians are engaging with palliative care.
“This year’s National Palliative Care Week campaign has reached Australians in every corner of the country, with campaign content viewed more than two million times on social media, strong participation in community events, and a notable increase in people downloading online resources,” Mr Waring said.
“That level of engagement tells us Australians want clear, practical information about palliative care, what it is, when it can help, and how to talk about it. Most importantly, it shows people are ready to have more open and honest conversations about palliative and end-of-life care.”
Despite this momentum, Mr Waring said the week has also reinforced a persistent gap.
“Too many Australians are still missing out on palliative care or accessing it too late,” he said.
“Palliative care helps people live as well as possible for as long as possible. It supports physical, emotional and practical needs, and brings comfort and clarity to both patients and families.”
“Starting conversations earlier makes a real difference. It helps people plan ahead, reduces uncertainty, and ensures care reflects what matters most.”
The signature event of the week was the annual NPCW special guest lecture ‘Rethinking Dementia and End-of-Life Care’ delivered by Dr Michael Chapman on Thursday 14 May at Parliament House. The lecture, and Q&A session facilitated by PCA Board Chair Dr Peter Allcroft, challenged how Australia understands dementia and highlighted the need for earlier, better-integrated care.
Heartfelt thanks
Mr Waring thanked the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing, PCA’s member organisations, the health care sector workforce, carers, volunteers, advocates, supporters and people with lived experience for helping make National Palliative Care Week 2026 a meaningful national conversation, saying their voices, stories and efforts helped bring the campaign to life.
For more information and resources, visit the PCA website.
Highlights around Australia
Communities across every state and territory marked the week with events and initiatives, including:
-
WA: Palliative Care Western Australia’s annual NPCW Breakfast themed ‘Sunny Side Up – how the care we give shapes the grief that follows’ - was held in four locations and livestreamed across WA. Other activities included lighting up the 2026 Optus Stadium and Matagarup Bridge in orange to recognise the week, an online PalliLEARN session on palliative caring, three advance care planning workshops (held across Perth and the southwest region), and a Grief Café.
-
QLD: Palliative Care Queensland highlights included Ambulance Wish Queensland’s 300th wish for Roma at Toowoomba Hospice, a special Mega Wish event at PA Hospital, the launch of the Queensland Parliamentary Friends of Palliative Care Group at Parliament House, and collaborative events featuring therapy animals, community organisations and local health services. Across the week, hundreds of Queenslanders engaged with resources, discussions and activities promoting compassionate and accessible palliative care.
-
NSW: PCNSW activities included a webinar on the iCanPlan Program: Improving Advance Care Planning Among Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Communities, presented by Dr Ashfaq Chauhan and Dr Upma Chitkara from Macquarie University on 12 May. A PCNSW Professional Education Day 2026 was also held on 15 May for healthcare professionals working in palliative care (live streamed from Sydney to nine regional hubs).
-
ACT: Palliative Care ACT coordinated the Light Up Canberra Orange campaign and held a community roundtable to help shape the future of paediatric palliative care in the ACT. The roundtable invited health professionals, families, caregivers and community members to share their experiences, insights and ideas to improve care for children and young people with life-limiting conditions.
-
VIC: Palliative Care Victoria hosted the PCV 2026 Summit - Every Voice Counts: Collaborative Approaches to Palliative Care in Melbourne on 15 May. The summit brought together healthcare professionals, community leaders and people with lived experience to explore inclusive and collaborative approaches to palliative and end-of-life care. The program featured keynote speakers, panel discussions and workshops focused on First Nations care, dementia, disability, grief and bereavement, multicultural perspectives, workforce support and voluntary assisted dying, highlighting the importance of culturally safe, person-centred care across all communities.
-
SA: Palliative Care SA’s NPCW Breakfast on 13 May was the state’s flagship event and included the launch of the new statewide initiative The Compassionate Alliance SA, alongside a video message from the Minister for Health and Wellbeing, Hon Blair Boyer MP.
-
TAS: Palliative Care Tasmania’s National Palliative Care Week event, Getting to the Heart of It, brought the community together in Hobart for a day of conversation, learning and connection. The program included the launch of the new PalliCaring Guide and website, panel discussions on palliative care, mindfulness sessions, and community activities focused on kindness, wellbeing and support for people navigating end-of-life care.
-
NT: Stories shared during the week included this People of Palliative Care about Dr Christine Sanderson’s efforts to build rural palliative care from the ground up, creating pathways for doctors to train where communities need them most.
About us:
Palliative Care Australia is the national peak body for palliative care.
Contact details:
PCA Interim CEO Simon Waring is available for interview upon request. Contact: Greg Kimball in the PCA communication team on 0402 800 649 or email [email protected] and [email protected]
- Images
-
Download
NPCW-2026.png
.
