General palliative care is provided by primary care professionals and specialists treating patients with life-threatening diseases who have good basic palliative care skills and knowledge.
Professionals who are involved more frequently in palliative care, such as oncologists or geriatric specialists, but do not provide palliative care as the main focus of their work, still may have acquired special education and training in palliative care and may provide additional expertise. These professionals can provide general palliative care.

Radbruch L, Payne S and the Board of Directors of the EAPC. EAPC update. White Paper on standards and norms for hospice and palliative care in Europe: part 1. European Journal of Palliative Care, 2009; 16(6).