Tayside Specialist Palliative Care

Definition of Palliative Care

Palliative care is an approach that improves the quality of life of patients and their families facing the problems associated with life-threatening illness, through the prevention and relief of suffering by means of early identification and impeccable assessment and treatment of pain and other problems, physical, psychological and spiritual.  
(
World Health Organisation (WHO) 2002)

General Palliative Care

General palliative care is an integral part of the routine care delivered by all health and social care professionals to those living with a progressive and incurable disease, whether at home, in a care home, or in hospital.
General palliative care is care that is based on the understanding and practice of palliative care principles. These include:

  • a focus on quality of life which includes good symptom control
  • a whole person approach which takes into account the person's past life experience and current situation
  • care which encompasses both the person with the life-threatening illness and those that matter to that person respect for patient autonomy and choice emphasis on open and sensitive communication
(Scottish Partnership for Palliative Care)

Specialist Palliative Care

Specialist palliative care is based on the same principles of palliative care outlined above, but can help people with more complex palliative care needs. Specialist palliative care is provided by specially trained multi-professional specialist palliative care teams and can be accessed in any care setting.
(Scottish Partnership for Palliative Care)
HM Queen Elizabeth II black and white
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Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II

1926 - 2022