[Editorial] Prioritising integration of palliative care to prevent suffering

Although palliative care is an essential component of universal health care, WHO estimates that only 14% of those in need of palliative care receive it. Notably, people with advanced neurological diseases are less likely to receive palliative care than are those with cancer; in the UK, for instance, less than 2% of surveyed patients with a neurological disorder had contact with a palliative care team during disease progression, whereas almost 90% of oncological patients did. In a Review of palliative care needs and supportive interventions in adults with neurological disease, Benzi Kluger and colleagues acknowledge that the integration of palliative care into neurology is relatively new, compared with specialties such as oncology, and neuropalliative care services will take time to be developed.