An Introduction to Palliative Care

Palliative care is a model of medical care which improves quality of life for patients, and their families, who are facing life-limiting or terminal illness. It aims to prevent and relieve suffering through holistic and individual assessment promoting the early identification and treatment of symptoms relating to that illness, whether physical, psychosocial, or spiritual.

There is no one ideal time to commence palliative care, and it has benefits whether considered alone or alongside ongoing medical treatments. Gradually this is moving from a traditional model, where palliative care is only considered when active treatments come to an end, to a model where palliative care can be used to enhance patient experience and quality of life alongside active treatments. This can also allow smoother transition through phases of disease and ultimately into end-of-life care.