Currently there are 2 organisations offering 3 specialist palliative care services to adult cancer patients, one of which also admits children and will admit adults with other illnesses at the end of life. These services are based in Amman. Specialist palliative care services are not currently available in any governmental hospitals for adults or children, although services are in process of being developed in Irbid, and in Amman from 2004 - as a result of training initiatives in the oncology unit in one government hospital. Two other oncology clinics provide pain and symptom relief to cancer patients at the end of life, all of which are based in the capital city Amman.

As of May 2005, the two organisations offering specialist services reported caring for, between them, a total of around 22 patients at any one time, although the total capacity between both organisations is around 45 patients at any time (Table 6).³⁴

Services in other regions of Jordan are limited; the King Hussein Cancer Center (KHCC) hospice team offers telephone support to their patients being cared for at home outside their Amman catchment area.

Table 6: Patient activity and capacity in the two dedicated palliative care organizations as of May 2005

If a patient needs urgent pain or symptom relief, unless or until they can travel back to KHCC the team will advise contacting the family physician or attending a local emergency department. Al Malath Hospice supports 4 volunteer nurses working independently in other regions outside Amman.