The development of the Palliative Care Competence Framework highlights the ability of the National Clinical Programmes to bring key stakeholders and professions together to work collaboratively. The framework supports health care staff in all care settings to self assess, develop and maintain skills, knowledge and attributes required for the provision of palliative care. This framework will help to embed a culture within our services to ensure high quality safe services for patients. It also provides a template for our partners in education and professional development to support health care professionals by including palliative care competences in education programmes at all levels.

This framework places a focus on the person with a life-limiting condition and their family. It helps in determining what health care staff can do to alleviate distress, pain and discomfort whether this is physical, emotional, spiritual or psychological. Applying the core and specific competences in practice, will help all health care staff (based in a hospital, hospice, GP practice, primary care centre or a community based setting) working with social care partners, to recognise their role in palliative care and to develop their own quality improvements.

Link to framework: Palliative Care Competence Framework