Appointment of National Clinical Lead for Palliative and End of Life Care

The Minister for Public Health, Women’s health and Sport, Maree Todd MSP, who has responsibility for palliative care, has announced the appointment of Dr Kirsty Boyd as National Clinical Lead for Palliative and End of Life Care. Kirsty is a Reader in palliative care at the University of Edinburgh, a former senior Consultant in Palliative Medicine in NHS Lothian and will be known to many people across Scotland through her work on research and practice. Writing to the Convenor of the Cross Party Group on Palliative Care, Bob Doris MSP, the Minister reaffirmed the Scottish Government’s commitment to developing and delivering a new National Strategy for Palliative and End of Life Care and gave more information about leadership and resource arrangements being put in place. You can read the full letter here.

A National Conversation to inform a new Dementia Strategy for Scotland

The Scottish Government are seeking responses to a short discussion paper from anyone with an interest in the lives of people living with dementia. This discussion will inform the future of dementia policy in Scotland. For more information, visit the website.

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Caring, dying and grieving: encouraging and supporting action in communities

We're pleased to share the programme for the Good Life, Good Death, Grief winter get-together, which will take place on 1 December at the Renfield Centre in Glasgow.

The event will explore how to give people in Scotland opportunities, skills, and confidence to support people who are caring, dying or grieving.

It is a chance to learn more about these issues, to share the work you’re doing, and explore the current challenges, potential solutions and opportunities for collaboration that exist within Scotland.

The programme will include a mix of plenary sessions, interactive smaller groups, and opportunities for stakeholders to share their work. We'll explore:

• public health palliative care
• compassionate communities
• planning ahead for ill health and death
• death education and bereavement support in schools
• bereavement-friendly workplaces
• public education about death and dying.

Check out the programme and book here: Caring, dying and grieving: encouraging and supporting action in communities

Call for Exhibitors and Speakers

Exhibitors

The Renfield Centre is a great space for stalls and exhibitions, and we have a limited number of tables available for organisations and groups to showcase their work. If you would like to host one of these tables, please email a short explanation of your organsation/group and the work you'd like to bring to samara@palliativecarescotland.org.uk by Thursday 27 October.

Open-mic slots for speakers

One of the plenary sessions will be an 'open-mic quick-fire' session on topics chosen and delivered by delegates. Are you doing great work that you'd like to share? Or is there something that you'd like other people to get involved in? If so, we'd encourage you to apply for one of these slots. Email samara@palliativecarescotland.org.uk by 27th October, with a brief description of what you’d like to talk about. Each speaker will get five minutes to speak. There is limited time but we will endeavour to showcase as much work as possible.

Bring a session

There is space at the venue for some additional short break-out sessions to be held from 9.40am-10.20am. For example, these could be used to provide an open information session on a particular topic, or to hold a private group meeting. If you would like to apply to use one of these breakout spaces, please email samara@palliativecarescotland.org.uk by 27 October 2022.

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UK Bereavement Comission

The UK Bereavement Comission has published its report Bereavement is Everyone's Business. The report includes 8 Principles for Change and a series of recommendations.

Growing up Grieving

Includem has published Growing up Grieving: The National Childhood Bereavement Project's Final Report. The report sets out the findings of the project and a series of recommendations for improvements.

Bereavement Summit

Over 100 people attended the Scottish Bereavement Summit on 13th October. A recording and presentations from the summit will be made available in the next few weeks.

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To Absent Friends - A People's Festival of Storytelling and Remembrance

The To Absent Friends Festival will take place across Scotland from 1-7 November. The festival is an opportunity to remember and tell stories of people we love who have died. It is a participatory festival, and all our welcome to take part - more information about how to get involved is available here: Get involved. The events listing for this year's festival is available here: Events Listing. If you are organising an event and would like to list it on the website, please get in touch by emailing Samara@palliativecarescotland.org.uk

Palliative Care Poster Parade

The Palliative Care Poster Parade showcases practice, research and innovation from across Scotland and beyond. It has been taking place across Twitter this week at #SPPCPosterParade. You can view all the posters from the Poster Parade here: SPPC Virtual Poster Exhibition The Poster Parade will culminate in an event on 27 October 2022 when a selection of exhibitors will give brief presentations of their work and take part in a Q&A via Zoom. You can register to watch the Poster Parade Event here: SPPC Poster Parade Event 2022

Vote for the winner of the Derek Doyle Poster Prize

Each year we award the Derek Doyle Poster Prize to the poster with the most votes. Check out how to vote here: Vote for your favourite poster

Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy

We have submitted a response to the Scottish Government's Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy. To read the response in full, you can view it here.

National Care Service Bill

We have submitted a response to the Scottish Parliament Call for Evidence on the National Care Service Bill. To read the response in full, you can view it here.

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Call for participants - APM 'Race' and Ethnicity Equity Survey

This anonymised survey is being conducted by the Association of Palliative Medicine's 'Race' Equity Committee to explore workers' personal or witnessed experiences of racial prejudice and discrimination in UK palliative care workplaces. Staff of any ethnicity working in UK palliative care workplaces in any role (including housekeeping and volunteer roles) are invited to submit responses. The survey is online, anonymous, and takes approximately 10-15 minutes to complete.

For more information, read the participant information sheet, or to take part, please visit the website.

RCN Nurse of the Year 2022

Contgratulations to Alison Bunce of Compassionate Inverclyde, who has been awarded RCN Nurse of the Year 2022.

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Moving forward in palliative medicine

Organised by Strathcarron Hospice. 20-21 October, Edinburgh. More information is available here: weblink.

Webinar - Supporting Death & Dying in the Community

Organised by the Accord Hospice Education Team to mark the hospice's 40th anniversary. 25 October, 1pm to 2:15pm.

The aim of the webinar is to explore how the hospice and other services within the community can help people through the sometimes hard times that can be associated with death and dying. For more information contact Fiona Moore at education@accord.org.uk or visit the website. Registration is open here.

Online Namaste Care Training - Autumn 2022

Organised by Ayrshire Hospice and the Prince & Princess of Wales Hospice. 26 October and 16 November, 9am to 4:30pm. For more details please contact lorna.reid@ppwh.org.uk or fiona.irvine@ayrshirehospice.org, and to book please email admin@ayrshirehospice.org.

To Absent Friends, A People's Festival of Storytelling and Remembrance

Participative event initiated by Good LIfe, Good Death, Good Grief. 1-7 November. More information is available here: weblink.

5th All Island Children's Palliative Care Conference: Communication: compassion and common ground

17 & 18 November 2022, Belfast. More information is available here: weblink.

Hospice UK National Conference

22-24 November, Glasgow. More information is available here: weblink

2022 NES Bereavement Education Conference: Exploring bereavement from a new perspective

Organised by NHS Education Scotland. Online. Thursday 24 November 2022. More information is available here: weblink.

Care Home Conference 2022: More Than Four Walls

Organised by Scottish Care. Friday 18 November 2022 at the Hilton, Glasgow. More information and tickets are available here.

Caring, dying and grieving: encouraging and supporting action in communities

Organised by Good Life, Good Death, Good Grief. Thursday 1 December, Renfield Centre, Glasgow.

More information and booking is available here: Caring, dying and grieving: encouraging and supporting action in communities

Marie Curie Research Conference: Improving End of Life Care for All

Organised by Marie Curie. Online, Monday 6 February – Friday 10 February 2023. More information is available here: weblink.

Scottish Palliative Care Guidelines Education Module

Organised by NHS Education for Scotland.

The Scottish Palliative Care Guidelines Education Module is now live on TURAS Learn. The module is open to all registered users on TURAS Learn. If you are a registered TURAS Learn user, you can access the module here.

2023 Global Ageing Network Biennial Conference

Organised in partnership with Scottish Care and the National Care Forum. 7-8 September 2023, Glasgow. More information is available at the conference website.

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