“Regardless of their age, children suffer all the clinical, psychological, ethical and spiritual aspects of incurable illness and death. However, they are not small adults; they have specific developmental, psychological, social and clinical needs that must be addressed.” Vittorio Ventafridda.
As medical and technological advances reduce childhood mortality and improve survival for children with life-limiting conditions, there is a need to integrate effective and efficient child-specific palliative care into national health and social service policy throughout Europe.
Children’s palliative care is a small and highly specialised field of healthcare which is at an early stage in its development. Across Europe the provision of palliative care services for children with life-limiting conditions and their families vary. Where provided, services are often fragmented and do not meet the needs of the child and family. This is attributable to a number of issues including organizational, cultural and economical barriers, which, although multiple and complex, are common and consistent throughout most of the European countries.