New South Wales MPs have hit back against proposed cuts to palliative care education at University of Technology Sydney, part of a drastic restructuring plan to plug a $100 million hole in its budget. Source: The Catholic Weekly.
“Palliative care provides vital support for the dying,” Sue Carter, the co-chair of Parliamentary Friends of Palliative Care said.
“We need more skilled physicians – cutting this degree is a cost-cutting measure for the university, but ignores the significant human cost involved.”
A former professor of palliative care, Philip Lee, has launched an e-petition to the Legislative Council to demand that UTS “immediately desist with any proposal to cut postgraduate palliative care courses.”
More than a thousand people have signed it to date.
UTS is one of only two universities in Australia providing postgraduate courses in palliative care. The other is Flinders University in Adelaide.
UTS’s “Operational Sustainability Initiative” calls for discontinuing an online graduate certificate, a graduate diploma, and master’s in palliative care, along with nearly 170 other courses.
Palliative care is the medical specialty dealing with the physical, psychological, social and spiritual needs of the dying, helping them to live as well as possible in last days.
It was widely discussed in the parliamentary debate over the Voluntary Assisted Dying Act, which was passed in 2022. Opponents of VAD complained that patients would be offered death rather than the compassion and pain management that comes with good palliative care.
Another MP, Greg Donnelly, said limiting options for studying palliative care involves huge risks.
“UTS has played a critical part in delivering postgraduate courses that have enabled the delivery of world-class palliative care to countless numbers of individuals at the end of their life, and their families over many years,” Mr Donnelly said.
“It is shocking to think that the cutting of such courses would lead to our citizens going down the path of physician-assisted suicide or euthanasia, instead of being able to access palliative care because of shortages in key staff who need to be able to obtain the necessary certification.”
Acting Dean of Health Lynn Sinclair said that UTS has not make a final decision on discontinuing palliative care courses.
“Any proposed changes would not take effect until the 2026 academic year. All current students will be able to complete their courses,” Professor Sinclair said.
FULL STORY
Backlash against UTS plans to drop palliative care courses (By Michael Cook, The Catholic Weekly)
