Professor Punita Lal is an oncologist from India. Here, she describes a palliative care placement in the United Kingdom. She spent a month at Velindre Cancer Centre in Wales, where she experienced inpatient, outpatient, community and hospice palliative/supportive care. Providing comprehensive acute palliative cancer care – many models exist! Donning different hats is […]
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International Research Society of the Sapporo Conference Newsletter – Summer 2024
BMJ SPC Forum, in partnership with the International Research Society of the Sapporo Conference, Japan, co-publishes its seasonal Newsletter in the BMJ SPC Forum The following is from the Summer issue of the International Research Society of the Sapporo Conference for Palliative and Supportive Care in Cancer Newsletter that was published in July 2024 for […]
Flowers in the Dark
By Dr Joseph Hawkins, Consultant in Palliative Medicine, Clinical lead for End of Life Care, Ashford and St Peter’s NHS Foundation Trust. Twitter: @JoeHawk75825077 Soft masticating, The only sound Of a mouse pondering -unknowable thoughts. The absence of an owl, Swooping on silent wings To complete the picture of idyll. But the owl had met […]
The meaning of Regret.
By Dr Joseph Hawkins, Consultant in Palliative Medicine, Clinical lead for End of Life Care, Ashford and St Peter’s NHS Foundation Trust. Twitter: @JoeHawk75825077 Regret is anti- onomatopoeic It doesn’t babble like a brook, Or sigh, like the breeze But I understand how regret feels Nights spent longing Laughing at private mistakes Conversations never held […]
10 Golden rules of palliative care on how to manage a dying person – you’ll never guess number 4!
By Dr Joseph Hawkins, Consultant in Palliative Medicine, Clinical lead for End of Life Care, Ashford and St Peter’s NHS Foundation Trust. Twitter: @JoeHawk75825077 If you prescribe midazolam 5 mg routinely for terminal agitation then you are wrong. Do say – try to use a dose that works first time. Don’t say – but […]
News: Inaugural Palliative and End of Life Care Awards
News The inaugural Palliative & End of Life Care Awards 2024 were held in June in central London, recognising and celebrating excellence in palliative and end of life care in a social care or hospice setting in the United Kingdom. The gala event, hosted by journalist Kate Garraway, recognised initiatives within social care and/or […]
Playful Palliative Care
Dr Matthew Doré – Palliative Care Consultant Northern Ireland Hospice & Belfast Trust Hon Sec of APM and Co-lead Clin ECHO Why is Bluey the greatest TV show you need to watch? This is not just me saying this, IMTB (here) have consistently had it with the rating of 9.9 and is currently at number […]
The ink is dry
By Dr Joseph Hawkins, Consultant in Palliative Medicine, Clinical lead for End of Life Care, Ashford and St Peter’s NHS Foundation Trust. Twitter: @JoeHawk75825077 Stop writing cries the invigilator Your time is done. Too much, never enough, Time once so immutable a concept Solid as air Softly blowing a breeze when A hurricane hits Moments […]
I have rather unusual feelings about death. I find it beautiful.
I didn’t think it strange, growing up around such a perspective. My mother insisted, when I was preschool age, she would want to die if she were severely disabled. We were at the shopping mall, looking for shoes. She said it as breezily as if asking, “Would you like an ice cream?” True to form, […]
Vicky Cristina Hola Barcelona
Author: Dr Ollie Minton, Consultant in Palliative Medicine, Brighton, UK Dr Minton, our very own correspondent at European Association for Palliative Care conference events, rounds up the #EAPC2024 proceedings in Barcelona, and adds photographic evidence I got my Barcelona ‘Hola card’ which ensures free public transport for 72 hours first. Luckily it was not […]