Continuity in Palliative Care provides the practical information needed by primary care teams as they care for what is likely to be an increasing number of patients and their carers, faced with life-threatening disease and difficult treatment choices.

This book:

* examines the multi-faceted issues involved in the need for continuity of care
* explores various forms of continuity and suggests a dynamic model of continuity
* looks at the areas involved in achieving continuity in palliative care - from the perspective of patients, their carers and healthcare professionals
* presents important issues, research results and examples of good practice

There are chapters on the following topics:

* Perspectives from primary, specialist and secondary care
* Continuity of care for the elderly
* Continuity of care for people with non-malignant disease
* Spiritual care
* PCTs and organisational issues
* End-of-life initiatives
* Patient-held records and IT systems
* Ethical issues

The final chapter discusses palliative care provision in the context of health service reforms, outlining the continuing relevance of continuity in the face of these changes.

Understanding the issues in palliative care that face primary care teams is an important concept in preparing for future challenges in the NHS and this book clearly, concisely and very readably summarises the story.

About the Editors:

Dan Munday is Consultant in Palliative Medicine for the Coventry PCT, Medical Director of Myton Hospice, Warwick, and Honorary Senior Clinical Lecturer at the Centre for Primary Health Care Studies, Warwick Medical School, University of Warwick.

Cathy Shipman is Senior Research Fellow within the Department of Palliative Care, Policy and Rehabilitation and the Department of General Practice and Primary Care at King's College, London.