The definition of palliative care includes the improvement of quality of life of patients and their families. In this presentation, Dr Cupido says that all physicians have been exposed to palliative care and gives the who, how and when of palliative care. He talks about integrating a palliative approach into the management of chronic, life threatening diseases. He stresses the importance of starting the palliative care conversation early in patients with chronic conditions. Cupido discusses a point of prevalence survey of whether patients needed palliative care which looked at 11 public sector hospitals in the Cape Town Metropole. Of 1443 patients, 16.6% met palliative care criteria, with 54.8% in medical wards, which provides the evidence for the need for palliative care services. Cupido goes on to say that palliative care can offer, relief of pain and other symptoms; maintenance of the best quality life; emotional and spiritual support; communication; coordinator of care; and, planning care out of hospital,including hospice. He stresses the Importance of an interdisciplinary team, including dieticians, nurses, OTs, etc. and stresses that the team must be non-hierarchical. Dr Cupido explains that, in the internal medicine setting, palliative care can provide a care plan, and an advance care plan including formal decision making that helps patients make decisions about their future care that take effect when they lose capacity. He goes on to say that PC facilitates the delivery of care in keeping with patient wishes and increases patient and family satisfaction with care, adding that it centres around goals, beliefs and values of patients. He stresses the need for a SA approach to palliative care and discusses the ‘infusion model’