What is Palliative Care?

"The active total care of patients whose disease is not responsive to curative treatment. Control of pain, of other symptoms, and of psychological, social, and spiritual problems is paramount. The goal of palliative care is achievement of the best possible quality of life for patients and their families." WHO

During the 1950s and 60s it was recognised that many people who were dying of cancer had physical and emotional problems that were not being properly addressed by those caring for them.

This led to the development of the hospice movement and, in turn, palliative care.

The majority of people receiving palliative care continue to be those patients who are suffering from advanced cancer.

There are many people with conditions that do not have the often short life expectancy of these patients but who could also benefit from a palliative approach to their care, these conditions include; 

Neurological diseases, respiratory and cardiac diseases or AIDS.

The goal of palliative care is to achieve the best quality of life for patients and their families.At the heart of palliative care is the belief that there is always something that can be done to improve things.

Palliative Care is delivered by many different professionals and there are links on this site to detailed information about what each does.

 People’s needs can vary so much that they need a team of people to help them. No one person can know everything about medication, benefits, counselling or spiritual issues but by working together the patient's needs can be met wherever they are being cared for.

If you wish to know more about Palliative Care then speak to one of the health professionals involved with your care, click on the links below or contact info@palliativecareglasgow.info
and the network team will try and point you towards other sources of help.

Palliative Care Overview

Scottish Partnership for Palliative Care

International Association for Hospice and Palliative Care

We are keen to make the information on the site available to as many people in Glasgow as possible.

If English is not your first language or if you are seeking information for someone whose first language is not English then look here:

Introduction to Palliative Care in British Sign Language

Local information in Urdu

Palliative Care in Different Languages

CancerSupport UK

Cancer in Your Language

British Sign Language translator