A word from the President

Welcome to the Winter edition of Pallium 2023! We have had a great start to the year at PCNSW, and we look forward to the coming months ahead of us. I am very proud to be serving as PCNSW President, and I look forward to continuing working with the PCNSW staff, Management Committee, and our members.

I would like to begin by thanking our CEO Linda Hansen who is sadly departing her role as CEO of PCNSW. Linda has worked with PCNSW for 19 years, and during this time she has played a pivotal role in establishing PCNSW as the peak body for Palliative Care in NSW. We would like to thank Linda for her tremendous efforts in shaping PCNSW into the organisation it is today. Linda will be assuming the role of CEO of Palliative Care ACT, and we are certain her outstanding leadership and tireless dedication to Palliative Care will assure her success in her new role. We wish her all the best, and look forward to watching her excel in her new position as CEO in ACT.

As we move through the winter months, we realise how difficult it can be for our health workers while rates of COVID and influenza continue to surge. It is important during this time to take care of yourself as you deal with the added pressure. On behalf of the team, I would like to thank you for your unending efforts despite all that has been thrown your way. Our efforts continue to support and advocate for our members and the needs they share with us. We ask that you please continue to send us your stories and feedback so that we can work in a way that best supports you.

I have greatly enjoyed my first months serving as the President for PCNSW. We continue to work with the Ministry of Health (MoH) and develop our relationship with them. We have been very pleased to welcome some of the Ministry’s representatives to our events, and look forward to having them at future events. We are also actively planning the next Biennial State Conference for 2024, and we look forward to reconnecting with everyone in a wonderful new location in NSW!

This year’s National Palliative Care Week was another huge success, and it was great to be able to connect with our members during the events throughout the week. PCNSW held a screening of Live the Life You Please to launch the week, and it was lovely to experience such a moving film with our members and the PCNSW community. It was also fantastic to be able to explore current and meaningful topics with the attendees of PCNSW’s Education Day. We were able to have some fun in the art session, and it was wonderful to see everyone getting involved and enjoying themselves!

The discussions surrounding VAD in NSW are more prevalent than ever as we near the implementation date in November. We were pleased to be able to facilitate some discussion during our Education Day about the VAD Bill and its implications for healthcare workers, services, patients and their families. We feel it is important for our members to have the opportunity to discuss and learn about the upcoming changes, and we will continue to provide new information as it develops.

We look forward to hearing from our members as we all continue through 2023!

Felicity Burns PCNSW President

This year’s National Palliative Care Week was another huge success, and it was great to be able to connect with our members during the events.