On World Hospice and Palliative Care Day, Joaquim Julià, co-director of the WeCare Chair and head of the Palliative Care Service of the Catalan Institute of Oncology of Badalona, stressed that “not being regarded a specialty means that adequate training is not guaranteed, hindering generational transition”
The experts of the WeCare Chair explained that in recent years there have been advances, especially in terms of population coverage and greater awareness of the importance of issues related to the end of life. However, palliative care has not been equated with other specialties, which makes it difficult to access research funds in this area.
To combat this, and to promote the recognition of palliative care as a medical specialty, the co-director of the WeCare Chair has is making the subject compulsory in all faculties of Medicine, Nursing and Psychology, so that specific research funds can be allocated to it.
Julià also explained that the ageing population leads to an increase in the prevalence of chronic diseases and a greater number of patients with palliative needs. This means that more professionals and hospital units dedicated to palliative care are necessary.
While there may not be enough recognition and deployment of resources to the area, Julià stressed that paediatric units “are experiencing an extraordinary moment.” “The availability of paediatric palliative care marks a before and after in how these children are treated for illness. In Catalonia there are several leading teams working as a network to attend every case in the country. However, this is not the case in other parts of Spain”, he said.
With the aim of continuing to raise awareness among institutions and the wider population, the experts and researchers of the WeCare Chair of the University are working to create knowledge they can transfer to society. With this in mind, they promote training for professionals, organise courses and workshops open to the public and support scientific societies.
