That’s not just for the patients, but for their loved ones as well, who can experience problems in this situation.

Surveys have not surprisingly revealed that most Australians prefer to die at home, rather than in a hospital bed, but for this to happen, again it often requires specialist palliative care, and we know there are not enough palliative care doctors or nurses to meet the needs of the NSW community, and there is a lack of culturally appropriate palliative care for Aboriginal people.

We understand that regional communities can experience gaps when it comes to accessing such care, but all cancer patients, and their families, deserve access to palliative care within a reasonable distance to their homes.

While Glen Innes has been without a specialist palliative care nurse for the past few months, we recognise that Hunter New England Health is working under trying conditions to fill the position, and in the meantime provide ongoing palliative care by sharing resources from Armidale across the New England region.

Palliative and community nurses provide palliative care in conjunction with GPs across the Tablelands Sector, including in Armidale, Glen Innes and Inverell.

But the shortage of nurses is a problem widespread across the state.

Dying without the necessary support can be one of the most stressful things people and families can face – we must ensure that people receive the care they need to face the end of their lives with dignity.

This is why we are encouraging our readers to support The Cancer Council’s I Care For Palliative Care campaign.

Launched in April, it aims to gather the experiences of people who have had family go through palliative care over the last five years to help paint a picture of the difference that palliative care makes, and identify the gaps in access.

As part of the campaign, Cancer Council NSW has called on the state government to provide additional funding for 10 full time palliative physicians, at a minimum, as well as 129 palliative care nurses, and culturally-appropriate specialist palliative care services for Aboriginal people.

You can call 13 11 20, and answer questions to help the campaign. Let’s help improve palliative care.