Aims:

• Consider the inequalities of existing specialist palliative care provision for patients with non malignant disease and analyse how current NHS policy may challenge this position in the future
• Increase your knowledge and understanding of the palliative care needs of patients suffering from a range of non malignant diseases
• Considers the social aspects of palliative care in non-malignant disease together with perspectives from primary and secondary care

Learn to:

• Critically analyse the challenges that patients with long term conditions present to specialist palliative care services
• Discuss the issues surrounding prognostication in long term conditions - defining when the transition to palliative care should occur
• Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of symptom management in non-malignant advanced disease
• Critically analyse the theoretical, ethical and practical aspects of psychological support for patients and their families facing non-cancer long term conditions
• Demonstrate an understanding of the sociological context of people dying from long term conditions and non malignant disease
• Demonstrate an understanding of organisational elements involved in care of patients in primary and secondary care dying from advanced long term conditions.