ABSTRACT
Because heart failure describes a wide spectrum rather than a tightly defined entity, there are few useful data to which we can turn when we attempt to estimate the likely workload for palliative care. At the same time, there is encouraging evidence that most specialist palliative care services in the UK are now willing to accept heart failure patients. In most cases this only forms a small percentage of their overall workload, but even where a more integrated service has grown up between cardiology and palliative care, this has not led to the overwhelming demand which many once feared. However, there is no established model to guide best practice, and resource restraints are widespread.
