Compass is still being developed and is effectively in beta. Some content and features may be incomplete, change, or not work as expected.

Content is anchored to trusted sources where available, but Compass has not yet been clinically reviewed. It provides general information rather than medical advice.

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Care and support systems

Palliative care

Care focused on comfort, symptoms and quality of life, which can run alongside other treatment from early on.

What it means

Not only for the last weeks, and not a decision to stop treating. Palliative teams are specialists in symptoms such as breathlessness, pain, saliva and sleep, and in the practical and emotional side of living with a serious condition. Many people are involved with them for years.

Why you might hear it

  • Being referred early is common and is not a signal about how things are going.
  • The name is often read as meaning the last weeks, and that is not what it means.

What it is not

Not the same as hospice or end-of-life care, though palliative teams are often involved in both.

People who may help

Where Compass goes into this

About this explanation

These are plain explanations of words you may come across, not advice about your own situation. Where a word matters to a decision, the question pages go into it properly, and your own team is the place to take it.