More training for palliative primary care

A new report has found that the majority of healthcare professionals would like more training in palliative primary care.

The report, Primary Palliative Care in Ireland – Identifying improvements in primary care to support the care of those in their last year of life, is a collaboration between the Irish Hospice Foundation, the HSE and the ICGP.

Two thirds of the 182 primary healthcare professionals involved in the research requested training in symptom control and almost half sought training in caring for imminently dying patients at home.

The report also highlights gaps in service provision, such as the need for flexible out-of-hours nursing, better access to specialised equipment, more psychological support for patients and families and formalising palliative care within the private healthcare sector.