When the first edition of this book was written in 1990, there were only a few advisory palliative care teams working in hospitals. Since then, the number of teams has grown rapidly. The concept of these teams is now widely accepted but there is an increased need for information about setting up a team, how they work, and how effective they are. This book looks at the need for hospital-based palliative care teams and the challenges of bringing palliative care into the acute hospital setting. It reviews the needs of patients, their families, and their professional carers, and also looks at the ... More

When the first edition of this book was written in 1990, there were only a few advisory palliative care teams working in hospitals. Since then, the number of teams has grown rapidly. The concept of these teams is now widely accepted but there is an increased need for information about setting up a team, how they work, and how effective they are. This book looks at the need for hospital-based palliative care teams and the challenges of bringing palliative care into the acute hospital setting. It reviews the needs of patients, their families, and their professional carers, and also looks at the theoretical and practical problems that may be encountered. The book contains practical advice on setting up hospital-based palliative care teams, the selection of team members, team dynamics, and the role of the pain clinic and palliation oncology.