Hospital palliative care teams have been established in rapidly increasing numbers over the last 20 years, as it has been recognized that hospices can never transfer the philosophy and practice of palliative care into the acute sector by simply existing; the often work as 'stand alone units' and remain outside mainstream medicine. However, it has become apparent that improving access to palliative care for patients in acute hospitals is not as easy as employing external palliative care specialists as consultants. Even setting up a team of professionals who work solely in a hospital will often...