Central Coast Local Health District will benefit from an additional $292,500 in 2025 to support the enhancement of paediatric palliative respite and end of life care at Gosford Hospital.
This funding boost for Central Coast Local Health District is part of the NSW Government's $2.8 million investment to enhance children's end-of-life care services, ensuring greater equity of access to hospital and community-based services across NSW.
This forms part of the NSW Government's commitment to increase paediatric palliative care funding to approximately $80 million over 4 years from 2023-24 to 2026-27.
The district will receive funding to refurbish a dedicated space, transforming it into a more home-like and comfortable multi-functional environment with specialised equipment and comfort items. These enhancements will support a range of needs, including palliative respite, end-of-life and post-death care, and the care of children with chronic, complex conditions or life-limiting disorders.
The dedicated space at Gosford Hospital will be able to be accessed at short notice to provide supportive end-of-life care to children and their families and will have the capability to revert to a multifunctional clinical area when needed.
The initiatives supported by this funding will help ensure that families can access high-quality paediatric palliative care services in a comforting environment.
Quotes attributable to Minister for Regional Health, Ryan Park:
"This funding underscores our commitment to supporting some of the most vulnerable children and their families in NSW.
"Paediatric palliative care is essential for providing comfort and dignity to children with life-limiting conditions and their families.
"Importantly, this funding will allow us to extend and enhance a model of care which provides families with much-needed peace of mind, knowing they can care for their child in a familiar, supportive environment during their final days.
Quotes attributable to Minister for the Central Coast, David Harris:
"I welcome this funding to ensure our region's children and their loved ones receive optimal support when they need it the most.
"The investment means our children will be as comfortable as possible while their families will have access to services, such as respite care to support them in these most difficult of circumstances."
Quotes attributable to Member for Gosford, Liesl Tesch:
"This funding is so important to ensure that every child and their family is provided with the utmost comfort, dignity and support as they access end-of-life care.
"In the most heartbreaking of circumstances, this investment will provide a specialised, home-like environment with a focus on the unique needs of end-of-life care, ensuring that every child and their families are provided every support possible."
