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Specialist palliative care social work is undervalued and misunderstood by other professionals, limiting referrals, research out today shows.

The Joseph Rowntree Foundation report found that professionals did not value palliative care social work due to its flexibility and informality, despite these being the qualities valued by service users.

However, it found service users often had a negative view of social work generally which had almost deterred them from accepting support from palliative care social work.

The study interviewed 111 service users who were either living with life-limiting conditions or facing bereavement.

It was carried out by Community Care blogger Peter Beresford and colleagues.