{"id":2409,"date":"2026-05-28T11:15:04","date_gmt":"2026-05-28T11:15:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.bmj.com\/spcare\/?p=2409"},"modified":"2026-05-28T11:15:04","modified_gmt":"2026-05-28T11:15:04","slug":"why-do-we-need-inclusive-leadership-in-palliative-care-today","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.bmj.com\/spcare\/2026\/05\/28\/why-do-we-need-inclusive-leadership-in-palliative-care-today\/","title":{"rendered":"Why do we need inclusive leadership in palliative care today?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Authors<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Dr Esraa <\/strong>Sulaivany,<\/strong> Consultant Palliative Medicine, Medical Director St. Rocco’s Hospice, Warrington,\u00a0North Cheshire and Mersey NHS Foundation Trust\u00a0<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

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Dr Fran Hakkak<\/strong>, Medical Director, Compton Care, Wolverhampton<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

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Dr Despoina-Elvira Karakitsiou<\/strong>, Locum Consultant Palliative Medicine, Northern Ireland Hospice, Belfast<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

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Trudie Roiz de Sa<\/strong>, Equity, Diversity & Inclusion Lay Trustee, Association of Palliative Medicine<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

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Introduction: A health system in flux demands inclusive leadership<\/strong><\/p>\n

Palliative care is changing fast: rising demand, workforce pressures and evolving models mean traditional ways of working are no longer enough. As services adapt, we need leadership that not only understands clinical quality, but also who uses those services and how they reach people from all backgrounds.<\/span><\/p>\n

Yet our workforce still doesn\u2019t reflect the diversity of the populations we serve. Without inclusion built into leadership, we risk perpetuating inequities in care access, workforce opportunities, and the cultural responsiveness of care.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Our EDI Committee engaging with members at the Palliative Care Congress in Brighton. Simon Callaghan Event Photography<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

Workforce diversity matters – evidence from palliative care<\/b><\/p>\n

Underrepresentation in the workforce:<\/b>
\n<\/span>Studies in palliative medicine indicate that doctors from socioeconomically disadvantaged and ethnic minority communities are significantly less represented across the career ladder, from training to senior roles. This matters because clinicians who reflect the population can bring insight, trust and lived experience into care decisions.<\/span><\/p>\n

Palliative medicine has one of the highest proportions of women in consultant roles across UK specialties. This is a strength we can build on. But representation isn\u2019t consistent across all groups \u2013 significant gaps remain, particularly around ethnic diversity, overseas-trained doctors, and disability inclusion across the workforce and leadership.\u00a0 (https:\/\/spcare.bmj.com\/content\/12\/1\/49)<\/span>
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\n<\/span>Inequities in research and involvement:<\/b>
\n<\/span>A framework developed through the RE-EQUIPP Care Partnership emphasises that palliative care research itself must be diverse and inclusive. It used co-designed resources and shared learning to improve participation of people from diverse backgrounds in patient and public involvement (PPI), recognising that research shaped without inclusive involvement risks perpetuating gaps in care. (https:\/\/eprints.whiterose.ac.uk\/id\/eprint\/210591\/)<\/span>
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\n<\/span>Gaps in clinical practice:<\/b>
\n<\/span>A broader review of equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) in palliative care highlights that addressing disparities must go beyond individual actions – training, education and inclusive research structures are needed to ensure equity across the continuum of care. (<\/span>https:\/\/link.springer.com\/article\/10.1186\/s12904-023-01185-6<\/span><\/a>)<\/span><\/p>\n

Inclusion in palliative care cannot focus on workforce alone:<\/b><\/p>\n

At its core, palliative care is about patients. Our patient population is increasingly diverse, and experiences of illness, dying and decision making around this are deeply shaped by culture, faith, language and identity. Inclusive leaders must foster environments where cultural humility and responsiveness are a core part of clinical care, ensuring that care plans reflect individual values, beliefs and needs of each person receiving our support.<\/span><\/p>\n

What inclusive leadership looks like in practice<\/b><\/p>\n

Inclusive leadership in palliative care isn\u2019t about numbers or policies alone. It means:<\/span><\/p>\n