This presentation reports preliminary findings from a survey of professionals who work in substance use or end of life care services. It is part of a larger study exploring current service responses to people who have both problematic substance use and who are receiving end of life or palliative care.
With an ageing population, anecdotal and practice evidence suggests increasing numbers of people with problematic substance use are presenting to end of life services and that substance use service providers are supporting people with increasingly complex and life limiting health conditions. The aims of this survey are to explore professionals’ knowledge and attitudes towards working with both issues, their training and their preparation for doing so, and the challenges they faced in working with people with both issues. This presentation encourages discussion with conference delegates about their own experiences.
Acknowledgements: This research is funded by the Big Lottery Fund.
November 2017
