From system holes to whole system

SPPC Annual Conference

John McIntyre Conference Centre, Edinburgh

12 November 2025

Catch up with colleagues from across Scotland and make new connections at the Scottish Partnership for Palliative Care Annual Conference. 

Hear new and challenging perspectives, take part in interactive sessions and be energised and inspired.

Exploring a whole system approach

As someone approaches the end of life they may need a range of supports – from health services, from social care services, from the welfare system, and from family, friends and their communities. Over the course of the day we will explore how this complex web of supports can work more effectively as a system to improve people’s experiences of living with serious illness, dying and bereavement.

Early Bird Bookings

Book before 18 August to receive our Early Bird rate: Book tickets

Speakers

Toby Lowe

Toby’s opening session will give us a clear framework for thinking about “a whole system approach” during the rest of the day.

What do people mean by “the system”? What is the connection between the system and meaningful outcomes in people’s lives? How could things be managed and organised differently to achieve the improvements we want to see?

Toby will draw on practical examples and provide opportunities for interaction. 

Jo Bowden, Stephen Fenning & Colleagues

30,000 people are diagnosed with cancer each year in Scotland. A third of these people live less than a year, and their pathways, experiences and outcomes are largely unknown to “the system”. In this session Jo, Stephen and colleagues will share the latest learning from the major i-Qual-PPC research study which is tackling this invisibility.  What do people and their families experience? What do they really value about the system and what needs to change? How might this study inform improvement for people with other conditions? 

Donald Macaskill

Each day in Scotland tens of thousands of people depend on staff in care homes, care at home and housing support to enable them to live as well as possible until they die. 

In this session Donald will explore the often unseen and undervalued role of social care staff in providing physical, practical, social, emotional and spiritual support to both individuals and their family members.

What can other parts of the system learn from social care? 

Cormac Russell 

People live and die in communities, and each community impacts on people’s experiences, for better or for worse.

Institutions and healthcare systems often struggle to get their heads round notions of community. 

In this session Cormac will help us think about “community” in new ways. How can institutions and professionals truly serve communities?    Prepare to be challenged. 

More speakers to be announced...

Call for Posters

Are you involved in an interesting project or in an area of work that you would like to discuss with or show to other conference attendees? Why not present your work in the poster exhibition. See this flyer for details on the call for posters, exhibition stands or publication displays.

If you are interested in presenting a poster or bringing along your display stands, please contact Pauline Ellison for a proposal form for completion at pauline@palliativecarescotland.org.uk.

The closing date for submission of applications for poster proposals or exhibitions is Monday 29 September 2025.

Book Now

Ticket rates and bookings are available here: Book tickets Book before 18 August to receive our Early Bird rate.

Poster photo credit: Yonghyun Lee

Photo of Cormac Russel: Georg Lulich