What is specialist palliative care?

The World Health Organisation 1990 defined palliative care as ‘the active holistic care of patients with advanced, progressive illness…. the goal of palliative care is achievement of the best quality of life for patients and their families.’

Specialist palliative care services are provided for patients and their families with moderate to high complexity of palliative care needs and are underpinned by the following principles:

• Affirms life and regards dying as a normal process
• Provides relief from pain and other symptoms
• Integrates the psychological and spiritual aspects of patient care
• Offers a support system to help the family cope during the patient’s illness and in his or her own environment.
• Many aspects of palliative care are also applicable early in the course of the illness in conjunction with other treatments.

Patients with active, progressive and advanced disease are eligible for hospice services. This includes patients with both malignant disease and non-malignant diseases for example, cancer, heart disease, lung disease and neurological diseases. Hospice services include day hospice, out-patient, community and in-patient care.