31 Junior doctors learning from a palliative care liaison team

<h3>Background</h3> As most palliative care is delivered by healthcare professionals who are not palliative care specialists (NHS England, 2016), it is important that junior doctors develop competence in palliative care during their training. The specialist palliative care team have been identified as a source of learning for junior doctors (Bharmal et al., 2019; Price and Schofield, 2005), who most junior doctors will encounter through the liaison team. There is no previous research identified examining the impact of the palliative care liaison team on junior doctors’ learning. <h3>Methods</h3> Six semi-structured focus groups were conducted within one trust, Northumbria NHS Foundation Trust, with a total of eighteen junior doctors to explore their experiences of working with the palliative care liaison team. Thematic analysis was used to interpret the data collected. <h3>Results</h3> The focus groups identified several areas of learning for junior doctors from working with the liaison palliative care team - symptom control, palliative care prescribing, holistic patient care, discharge planning, communication and recognising dying. This learning occurred through observation, supported decision making, direct advice and guidance and feedback on practice. Learning was enabled by the liaison team being accessible and proactive and negatively impacted by a lack of time and negative attitudes of seniors and specialities. <h3>Conclusion</h3> Overall, this study has contributed to the understanding of how junior doctors learn palliative care by demonstrating the significant impact that the palliative care liaison team have on junior doctors’ learning. It has been shown that the palliative care liaison team both create and support opportunities for experience and participation in palliative care which translates into learning for junior doctors.