Lits identifiés soins palliatifs : une expérience bretonne en MCO

Progress in cancer's treatments have growed the duration of palliation phase. Some oncologic teams have organised palliative care as supportive care before the concept of identified beds. It is a response to the needs of patients and to the development of supportive and palliative care practices. The concept of beds dedicated to palliative care clarifies the necessary scale for palliative care. The resources attributed to these beds must truly apply to the development of palliative care. It needs involvement of physicians and managers for high-quality care. Representations, attitudes and practices toward palliative care have now a consensus but existing organizations differ. In this issue, we describe our experience during the past two years in an oncologic unit of a Brittany private hospital, which has eight beds, dedicated for palliative care. Identified beds give us the opportunity to continue our organization about palliative care. This experience is perhaps transposable if there is a scientific proof that dedicated beds added value in oncologic units. But we need to debate with health authorities if we choose early introduction of palliative care for all people suffering cancers with death issue.