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SPPC Annual Conference

Provocation, innovation and eternal truths

Wednesday 18th September 2019, Royal College of Physicians Edinburgh

The SPPC Annual Conference 2019 took place on 18th September 2019. It featured a range of plenary and breakout sessions, plus poster display and arts space.

You can view the posters from the conference here: Poster Displays

Plenary Sessions

Ask not what we can do for death, but what death can do for us

Heather Richardson, Joint Chief Executive, St Christopher's Hospice
Jake Garber, Service Designer and Systems Thinker, WIGS

As a sector, we hold a powerful position within the national consciousness as the practical and symbolic carers of the dying. So far we have struggled to leverage this position to create the changes that are needed in the sector and in wider society. Research on ‘framing’ highlights how familiar patterns of communication and action are maintained, suggesting one way in which progress is blocked. So what if we start with the frame that death is the opportunity? What becomes possible then?

Check out Heather and Jake's PowerPoint slides here.

What’s the best way to care?

Tony Walter, Sociologist and Emeritus Professor, Centre for Death & Society, University of Bath

At end of life, what is the role of bio-medicine and institutions such as hospitals and care homes? Are critiques of medicalisation and institutional care overplayed? Do palliative care and compassionate community have all the answers?

Check out Tony Walter's PowerPoint slides here.

Building organisations which sustain rather than damage employee well-being

Michael West, Professor of Organisational Psychology, Lancaster University Management School

Drawing on research, practical examples and his Co-Chairing of the current GMC review of doctors’ mental health and wellbeing, Michael described ways in which organisations can respond to current pressures without sacrificing the wellbeing of employees.

Check out Michael West's PowerPoint slides here.

To be Professional is to be Human: attending to our soul in palliative care provision

Ewan Kelly, Freelance Facilitator, Speaker and Pastoral Supervisor

This session explored the significance of meaningful work for our wellbeing as people as well as practitioners, including how we respond when our deep desire to provide the right care is in tension with aspects of our work context. Ewan shared thoughts, practical strategies and led a gentle reflection to close the day.

Check out Ewan Kelly's PowerPoint slides here.

Rapid-fire showcasing of innovations from across Scotland

In this rapid-fire session, five speakers each gave a five-minute presentations on new work they were involved in. You can view the slides for each presentation below:

Estimates of future palliative care need in Scotland, Anne Finucane, Marie Curie.

Paediatric End-of-Life national managed clinical Care Network, Chris Kidson Consultant PICU & Clinical Lead PELiCaN

Dying well night and day, Kirsty Boyd, Consultant in Palliative Medicine, NHS Lothian

SPOT: The Safer Prescription of Opioids Tool, Dr Roger Flint

Songwriting for grief and loss, Giorgos Tsiris, St Columba's Hospice

Breakout Sessions

Delegates will be able to choose one of the following breakout sessions:

Safe, practical radical – how design can help you rethink approaches to death, dying and care.

Jake Garber, Service Designer and Systems Thinker, WIGS

This workshop will show how design thinking can be used to frame new approaches to knotty problems. Delegates will have an opportunity to prototype a solution to an issue which concerns them.

Check out Jake's PowerPoint slides here.

How can we best enable carers to express their support needs and work with them to provide the right support?

Dr Gail Ewing, Senior Research Associate, University of Cambridge

Lynne Carmichael, Head of Clinical Governance and Practice Development.

This interactive and practical workshop will introduce the Carer Support Needs Assessment Tool (CSNAT) intervention. Delegates will gain an understanding of its approach and use in practice.

Checkout Gail & Lynne's PowerPoint slides here.

Realistic Medicine works in Palliative Care

Dr Kirsty Boyd, Consultant in Palliative Medicine, NHS Lothian and Dr Kim Steel, Consultant in Palliative Medicine, NHS Fife.

Realistic Medicine is driving changes to policy and practice across Scotland and overlaps with another key aspect of palliative care – anticipatory care planning.

This session will use case-based discussion, Q&A and interactive communication to look at what realistic medicine brings to palliative care practice and how palliative care professionals can support the delivery of realistic medicine principles in Scotland.

View Kirsty and Kim's PowerPoint slides here.

How translational research can directly impact on the palliative care delivered to our patients:examples in bone and neuropathic pain.

Marie Fallon, St Columba’s Hospice Chair of Palliative Medicine at the University of Edinburgh and Honorary Consultant in Palliative Care at the Western General Hospital in Edinburgh.

Further information about the conference speakers is available here: Speaker Biographies

The conference programme can be viewed here: Conference Programme

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