BMJ 1995;311:1502-150 (2 December)

Letters

Palliative care in general practice

Should GPs do it at the expense of commoner problems?

EDITOR,--As a former general practitioner who is currently undergoing higher specialist training in palliative medicine, I am concerned at Zoe Kenyon's vision of a future in which a diploma in palliative medicine is a criterion for entry to general practice.1 My concern arises not least because to get the diploma one must attend a part time course lasting at least a year, which would distract focus away from vocational training.

The editorial raises a larger question: is palliative care delivered by general practitioners for all patients a realistic option? The general practice palliative care facilitator project described in Kenyon's editorial was designed to enhance the quality of palliative care delivered by primary care teams. As the evaluation makes clear, the educational activities directed towards generic skills such as teamwork and communication were well received.2 There was a poor response, however, . . . [Full text of this article]


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Relevant Article

Palliative care in general practice
Zoe Kenyon
BMJ 1995 311: 888-889. [Extract] [Full Text]

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