Palliative care can be accessed directly through a relevant palliative care service or via referral from either your general practitioner, specialist or other health provider.
It is important to have a discussion with your family and your doctor or health professional about what type of palliative care services you need now and in the future, as well as the support that your family or carer may also require.
Making the decision to access palliative care services earlier can often be beneficial, as research has shown that you may have improved outcomes in your care*.
*Zimmermann et al. (2014). Early palliative care for patients with advanced cancer: a cluster-randomised controlled trial. Lancet, 383: 1721–30.