Presented by Dr Tony Smith

Paramedics have traditionally not been involved in helping provide palliative care, but this is changing. With increasing numbers of patients receiving palliative care in the community, it is now common for Paramedics to be called to patients. Treating them requires a good understanding of the goals of palliative care, and excellent communication with the patient, their family and the palliative care or hospice team.

**Biography: **

Tony Smith is the Medical Director for St John in New Zealand and is also an Intensive Care Medicine Specialist at Auckland City Hospital. Tony chairs the working group that develops the Clinical Procedures and Guidelines for the ambulance sector in New Zealand and he oversees all of the clinical aspects of St John activities in New Zealand, noting that the ambulance service is just one aspect of this. He is a member of the New Zealand Resuscitation Council and the Australian and New Zealand Committee on Resuscitation. He has an active involvement in out-of-hospital research, with a focus on a collaborative approach to multicenter trials. He is a member of the HEMS team in Auckland and has an active role in out-of-hospital care.

This presentation was part of ANZCP2018 Sydney on 23rd & 24th August 2018.