The palliative care sector has welcomed news of a new, faster pathway to better meet the needs of people living with disabilities and a terminal diagnosis.
Called the Priority Access Application Pathway, the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) said it will “enable faster NDIS decisions” for people with terminal illness and disability.
Camilla Rowland, Chief Executive Officer of Palliative Care Australia (PCA), said the changes had been a long time coming.
“For over 12 months, PCA, our members, and organisations like the Peace of Mind Foundation have been highlighting a growing group of people under 65 unable to access day to day, functional living supports during their last years, months, and weeks of life,” she said.
“People and families have been falling through gaps that exist between health and care services, and we are pleased that our collaborative advocacy efforts have been heard and led to these changes.”
What the NDIA says
In a statement provided to PCA, the NDIA said it wanted “to ensure that people with disability arising from a terminal illness have their access to the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) assessed quickly, so they can access disability related supports that can be funded within existing legislative and policy settings”.
“From Wednesday April 3, 2024, we put in place a Priority Access Application Pathway for people with a terminal illness. This has enabled the NDIA to better work with all participants with terminal illnesses, and the health system, to ensure participants seeking access are prioritised for assessment of their applications. The NDIA will make a decision within 5 business days of a complete application being received, on whether a person with a terminal illness is eligible to access the NDIS for disability supports,” the Agency said.
According to the NDIA, it has received more than 130 referrals since the pathway began. More than 80 of those were new NDIS participants, and over 90 plans were approved for participants in the pathway.
More to be done
Rowland said while the news from the Agency was welcome, gaps remained in the system for people with disability and terminal illness.
“Over time, many services outside the NDIS that people with a terminal illness rely on have experienced reduced funding, been reprioritise, and closed. Not to forget the growing need in the community, the NDIA themselves have acknowledged that in the last 12 months alone the number of people with a terminal illness seeking access to the scheme has doubled,” she said.
“While this new NDIA pathway will allow for more timely responses and deliver supports to some people, others will miss out.
“We look forward to the Australian and State and Territory Governments explaining how they will fill the gaps that remain in basic support for people. Until those issues are resolved, many people and families – some of the most vulnerable in our community – will continue to miss out.”
To apply for the NDIS through the pathway, speak to a Hospital Liaison Officer, NDIS Partners in the Community – like Local Area Coordinators – or call the NDIA on 1800 800 110.