Palliative care: relocation rather than rebranding is needed

In the UK, palliative care is closely associated with hospices, which are often situated away from hospitals.1 Although the off-site, quite often serene location of hospices has some advantages, it unfortunately promotes the view that palliative care is essentially terminal life care.

The expertise of palliative care teams is often needed before patients reach a hospice, particularly for those with cancer. Relocation of palliative care departments to hospitals, and their functioning as an integral part, could bring more benefits to patients and would also remove the stigma associated with referral to palliative care.