Dr Simon Noah Etkind is a member of the Cambridge Palliative and End of Life Care Research Group (PELiCam) at the University of Cambridge. His research addresses uncertainty in serious illness. In this blog he describes a rapid prioritisation approach at a workshop he organised, to develop and rank uncertainty research priorities. The workshop was […]
How doctors experienced with end of life care communicate about assisted hydration
New research from Dr Arjun Kingdon at the University of Cambridge’s Primary Care Unit throws light on why assisted hydration for patients near the end of life is difficult for doctors to discuss with patients and families. Assisted hydration at the end of life is a highly emotive topic. Some may remember negative headlines about […]
Research update with PELiCam,15th March 2022
The latest research from the Palliative & End of Life Group in Cambridge (PELiCam) was discussed at the 15th March dissemination morning at Madingley Hall. It had been two years since many attendees had been able to meet together and share ideas and experiences. This was a welcome and energising opportunity for 80 clinicians and […]
Palliative care emergency service co-designed by Dr Stephen Barclay wins HSJ award
The NHS 111 Option 3 Palliative Care Hub service, developed for patients, family members and staff across Cambridgeshire, won the Health Services Journal Primary Care Innovation of the Year Award on 18th November 2021. The service was developed by the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), with guidance and support from Dr Stephen Barclay, […]
New insights into the advance prescribing of injectable medications at the end of life
The advance prescribing of injectable medications is recommended for patients approaching the end of life at home in the UK and elsewhere. But prescriptions vary in frequency depending on which GP practice patients are registered with and what conditions they have, report researchers from the University of Cambridge. The medications, which usually include opioids, can […]
Unequal access to hospices: white, middle-class, middle-aged patients with cancer are over-represented in hospice populations
Persistent inequalities in hospice care provision have been revealed in a study of the demography of hospice populations carried out at the University of Cambridge. The figures, drawn from a systematic review of literature on the characteristics of hospice populations in the UK and other countries with similar healthcare models, show that certain groups have […]