Palliative Care

General introduction

Palliative care focuses on improving quality of life for people living with life-limiting illnesses. Care is centred around the individual and supports physical, emotional, psychological, social and spiritual needs.

Palliative care can be provided by a range of healthcare professionals, including GPs, hospital teams, district nurses, who work together to provide coordinated support.

Palliative care can help with:

• managing pain and other symptoms
• emotional and psychological support
• advance care planning and discussions about future care (see the 'Useful information' section to find out more)
• coordinating care and support services
• planning for end-of-life care when needed

Palliative care is not only provided at the end of life. Many people receive palliative care alongside treatments aimed at controlling their illness or helping them live longer.

We support patients with a range of life-limiting illnesses including cancer, neurological conditions, heart failure, respiratory disease, kidney disease, Alzheimer's disease, dementia, frailty and other complex conditions.

Living with a life-limiting illness can affect both patients and those close to them. Support is available for families and carers throughout a patient’s care journey, including:

• emotional support
• advice about caring at home
• signposting to community services
• bereavement support
• practical guidance and information

Further support information can be found in the 'Useful information' section.

Specialist palliative care

Specialist palliative care provides additional support for people with more complex palliative care needs. It is delivered by healthcare professionals with specialist training in palliative and end-of-life care.

If your symptoms become more complex and cannot be managed by your usual healthcare team, you may be referred to a Specialist Palliative Care Team in hospital or in the community.

Community Specialist Palliative Care Team

The Community Specialist Palliative Care Team provides support for patients living at home, in care homes or in other community settings.

They support people living with a life-limiting illness, as well as their families and carers.

The team can help to:

• assess and manage complex symptoms
• provide emotional and psychological support
• help you plan for your future care
• coordinate care with your GP, community nurses and other healthcare professionals involved in your care

Their aim is to help improve your quality of life and support you to live as well as possible with your illness.

Hospital Specialist Palliative Care Team

The Hospital Specialist Palliative Care Team supports patients receiving care in hospital.

The team supports adults with life-limiting conditions, as well as those whose recovery from their current illness is uncertain.

They work alongside your hospital team to help improve quality of life through symptom management and emotional and practical support.

The team can provide:

• support to manage complex symptoms, including pain
• emotional and psychological support
• support with discussions and decisions about your care
• support for families and carers
• outpatient appointments with a palliative medicine consultant