Eligibility Criteria

The eligibility criteria for Specialist Palliative Care are based on patient need not the patient's diagnosis, so patients who meet the following criteria will be eligible:

• The patient has active, progressive and potentially life limiting disease
• The patient has unresolved complex needs that cannot be met by the caring team, or it is anticipated that the patient will develop such needs in the very near future.  These needs may be psychological, social, spiritual and/or physical.  Examples may include complicated symptoms, specialised nursing needs, difficult family situations or ethical issues regarding treatment decisions
• The patient has recently been assessed by a member of one of the Specialist Palliative Care Teams