Palliative care in non-malignant disease

Abstract

Cancer is still routinely seen as a terminal condition with a historically integrated relationship to palliative care. However, there are a number of life-limiting non-malignant conditions with mortality rates and symptom burdens comparable to those of organ-specific cancers. Although there is increasing involvement of palliative care services in these conditions, it still falls short of the needs of the UK patient population. With an ageing demographic, there is increasing need for an integrated multiagency approach to include specialist and non-specialist palliative care, primary care and specialist groups caring for patients with life-limiting non-malignant illnesses.