Hospital liaison palliative care

This chapter outlines the opportunities and challenges of providing a palliative care service within the acute hospital setting. It has been suggested that between one-third and two-thirds of people in developed world countries will die in hospital. The hospital, probably more than any other healthcare setting, is a challenging environment in which to support the human dimension in patient care. The focus is on investigation, treatment, and cure; priorities, such as quality-of-life issues, can get overshadowed. The chapter covers the particular issues associated with delivering palliative care in the intensive care unit and casualty department and the need to develop an understanding of the principles of palliative care across the many departments in an acute hospital involved in the care of dying patients. The chapter also looks at the difficulties in arranging urgent discharge for patients who wish to die at home.