Meera Agar re-elected as Chair of Palliative Care Australia

Professor Meera Agar has been re-elected as Chair of the Palliative Care Australia (PCA) Board following last week’s Annual General Meeting.

“I am delighted to be re-elected and play my part in pushing for greater investment in palliative care services. Thank you to my fellow directors, our members and PCA staff for your work and support — it’s a privilege to work with you,” Agar said.

“The last few years have been some of the sector’s most challenging — demand for palliative care has increased by 30% as a result of the pandemic. PCA will continue to work hard for better support for patients, families and the workforce.”

Agar is a Professor of Palliative Medicine at the University of Technology Sydney and a practicing palliative medicine physician in South West Sydney. This will be her second term as Chair of Palliative Care Australia.

The PCA Board endorsed the Annual Report and has also welcomed two new directors who bring with them a wealth of experience and expertise.

Dr Peter Allcroft has 30 years of clinical experience in both the private and public sector in metropolitan and rural settings. He is currently a Senior Staff Specialist at Southern Adelaide Palliative Services as well as Clinical Lead for the State Palliative Care Network.

Sunny Traverse brings with her over 20 years of clinical experience. She is the Director of Residential Services at Bene Aged Care in South Australia, and a lecturer and tutor in Applied Science at Flinders University.

Both are passionate about collaborating within the health and aged care sector, strengthening models of care and advocating for increased levels of service — including the reform required to embed palliative care within the aged care sector.

The PCA Board is made up of nine volunteer directors from around Australia, who have a range of health, community service, academic and business backgrounds. Directors are elected to a three-year term and play a key role in shaping governance, finances, policy and strategy within PCA.

The Board’s priorities for the new year include addressing workforce shortages, upskilling aged care staff and increased investment in palliative care services to ensure access to palliative care for all Australians when and where they need it.

“The May 2023 Budget is a great opportunity for the government to build on their early reforms in health and aged care,” Agar said.

“The Aged Care Royal Commission made 12 recommendations around the need to build stronger ties between aged care and palliative care. The PCA RoadMap lays out a clear plan for government that we hope to advance in the next year.”

Image caption: Professor Meera Agar. Image credit: Palliative Care Australia