In the media: the need for global palliative care
5th March 2018
Dr Katherine Sleeman, NIHR Clinician Scientist at the Cicely Saunders Institute has written an article for BBC Online about the growing need for palliative care globally. In the first three days, the article has been viewed nearly 700,000 times.
The World Health Organization estimates that the number of deaths worldwide will rise from 56 million in 2015, to 70 million in 2030.
This rise will mainly be caused by an increase in non-communicable diseases such as heart disease and cancer.
This is illustrative of a second challenge: most people will suffer from multiple medical problems in their final years. They will experience a gradual physical – and often cognitive – decline before they die.
Working in teams including nurses, social workers, counsellors and chaplains, palliative care specialists identify the worst problems for patients with terminal, or life-limiting illnesses and aim to improve these symptoms.
Many will be experiencing physical symptoms such as pain, nausea, or breathlessness. For others, the greatest problems may be psychological, social or spiritual.
Research suggests that palliative care can significantly improve quality of life – with people experiencing fewer physical symptoms and reduced rates of depression. They also have a greater chance of dying outside hospital.
Historically, palliative care was used after all other medical options had been exhausted, but we now know that it works best when used early and alongside other medical care.