• G W Hanks, M Robbins, D Sharp, K Forbes, K Done, T J Peters, H Morgan, J Sykes, K Baxter, F Corfe, and C Bidgood.
• Unit of Palliative Medicine, Division of Oncology, University of Bristol, Bristol Haematology and Oncology Centre, Horfield Road, Bristol BS2 8ED, UK. Debbie.ashby@bristol.ac.uk
• Br. J. Cancer. 2002 Sep 23; 87 (7): 733-9.

AbstractA randomised controlled trial was undertaken to assess the effectiveness of a hospital Palliative Care Team (PCT) on physical symptoms and health-related quality of life (HRQoL); patient, family carer and primary care professional reported satisfaction with care; and health service resource use. The full package of advice and support provided by a multidisciplinary specialist PCT ('full-PCT') was compared with limited telephone advice ('telephone-PCT', the control group) in the setting of a teaching hospital trust in the SW of England. The trial recruited 261 out of 684 new inpatient referrals; 175 were allocated to 'full-PCT', 86 to 'telephone-PCT' (2 : 1 randomisation); with 191 (73%) being assessed at 1 week. There were highly significant improvements in symptoms, HRQoL, mood and 'emotional bother' in 'full-PCT' at 1 week, maintained over the 4-week follow-up. A smaller effect was seen in 'telephone-PCT'; there were no significant differences between the groups. Satisfaction with care in both groups was high and there was no significant difference between them. These data reflect a high standard of care of patients dying of cancer and other chronic diseases in an acute hospital environment, but do not demonstrate a difference between the two models of service delivery of specialist palliative care.

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