Palliative care Palliative care
Symptom control and quality of life with serious illness: pain, breathlessness, nausea, fatigue, and the emotional and family side too.
Who is usually sent here
At any point when symptoms are reducing quality of life — including while active treatment continues.
What this specialty does NOT cover
The most misunderstood term in medicine. Palliative care does NOT mean stopping treatment and is NOT only for the end of life — it runs alongside from the start, and often helps people tolerate their treatment better.
What a first visit usually involves
Detailed questions about symptoms, about what matters to you, and about your circumstances — then a plan built around that.
Bring with you
A list of symptoms ranked by how much they bother you, a medicine list, and a relative to join the conversation.
Worth asking
- Which symptom can be eased the most
- How does this team work with my treating doctor
- Who do I call out of hours