Includes references

Report of the Irish Hospice Foundation's Primary Palliative Care Steering Committee. This report contains findings of a survey the programme undertook in 2010 which found that the majority of 182 primary care healthcare professionals registered a significant desire for more training in palliative care. Some two thirds of respondents requested training in symptom control and nearly half sought training in care for imminently dying patients at home. The report highlights longer-term recommendations to fill significant gaps in service provision such as the need for flexible out of hours nursing; better communication systems between primary, secondary and tertiary care providers, more psychological support for patients and families, timely access to specialised equipment and formalising a palliative approach to care within private healthcare sector.