Background

Palliative care still only reaches a minority of potential beneficiaries and is often introduced too late to prevent much distress. People with multi-morbidities and non-malignant conditions, frailty and dementia are still less likely to receive any form of palliative care than those with cancer. To gain universal coverage, a coordinated primary care and public health approach is necessary. Our vision is that palliative care is fully integrated in primary care systems internationally so that all patients have early access to a palliative care approach in the community (in their own home and in residential care facilities). We also believe that local communities should be involved in providing care and support.

Aims & Objectives

1. Promote integration of primary care as an essential element of national palliative care frameworks, and palliative care as an essential element of national primary care frameworks.
2. Foster training and educational development in timely palliative care for all primary care health professionals, at both undergraduate and graduate levels.
3. Advocate that primary care practitioners providing palliative care have adequate resources and professional support to encourage safe and effective practice, and to promote health equity for people with life-threatening illnesses.
4. Provide collegiate support to primary care practitioners as they develop evidence- based approaches to high quality primary palliative care.
5. Support and develop research opportunities in primary palliative care – across EU countries.
6. Identify mechanisms to support primary palliative care in all countries, with a specific focus on lower and middle income countries.