Early integration of person-centred palliative care within disease-oriented care is advocated but the question of how this is best accomplished remains. A practice-driven quality improvement project was introduced in a surgical cancer care context whereby palliative care consultations were offered early in the disease trajectory for patients with pancreatic cancer. Within this study, a qualitative interpretive description design was applied, focusing on the integration and collaboration between the actors involved in the quality improvement project. The aim of the study was to examine a practice-driven change for the early integration of person-centred palliative care within surgical cancer care. Seventeen study participants (healthcare professionals, managers and patient association representatives) were interviewed. The interviews were complemented by observations and a constant comparative analysis was applied. The main finding was that the success of the quality improvement initiative was influenced by the way in which healthcare professionals perceived the concepts of palliative care, integration and roles, as well as differences in palliative care practices and organisation. In conclusion, within practice-driven person-centred palliative care integration initiatives, perspectives on what, when and how to integrate person-centred palliative care, variations in palliative care practice, and specific needs of the patient group in relation to the surrounding palliative care system must be disclosed and addressed when initiating collaboration between palliative care consultation services and specialist hospital teams. Behind the barriers disclosed in this study is a need for a supportive policy for palliative care consultation services that includes how to contextually adapt and tailor it.