Der Anaesthesist
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Palliative medicine has progressed during recent years to an independent medical faculty within the German health system. Despite this development palliative care systems for out-of-hospital and in-hospital palliative care are still insufficient in Germany so that the development of necessary resources must be considered as not yet completed. To support the further national development palliative medicine can be temporarily or permanently coupled to existing departments, which can be advantageous for all concerned and last but not least be profitable to patients and their relatives. ⋯ Part of the responsibility of most anaesthesia departments is to practice pain management and critical care medicine, which are reasons why anaesthesiologists are predestined to be part of the system for palliative care patients and their relatives. Anaesthesia departments can be responsible for the organization of in-hospital and out-of-hospital palliative medicine and palliative care. The integration of anaesthesiological expertise into palliative medicine departments and vice versa can be a great opportunity for both medical departments and therefore represents a worthwhile engagement.