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Table 3 Issues raised by health professionals in focus groups and individual interviews when asked

From: Study protocol: delayed intervention randomised controlled trial within the Medical Research Council (MRC) Framework to assess the effectiveness of a new palliative care service

Issues raised which were similar to those from patients

- continuity of care

- service delivery

Issues raised which were different to those from patients/families

- resources – a concern that expanding palliative care to people affected by MS would drain their resources, or divert resources from other fields such as rehabilitation medicine

- unpredictability of disease process – being unclear when a referral to palliative care would be appropriate, being unsure what to do if patients might improve or progress

- mutual lack of knowledge between different specialities

- need for professional training and information exchange