What did we do?
NIHR CLAHRC GM in collaboration with the North West Palliative Care Audit Group, The Greater Manchester and Eastern Cheshire Strategic Clinical Network’s Research and Audit Specialist Interest Group and The Christie NHS Foundation Trust held a national end-of-life conference, at The Chancellers Conference Centre in Manchester. The main themes of the conference were research and audit in relation to palliative care.

Why was it important?
Compared to other specialties palliative and end-of-life care is under researched and audited. The aim of the conference was to provide a forum where people involved in end-of-life care had the opportunity to network, share ideas and discuss and present audit and research findings with colleagues. The main focus was putting local evidence into practice, improving care provision and moving priority setting forward.

How was it received?
The conference was very well attended with over 100 delegates from across a wide range of professions and organisations. Over half (n=52) of the delegates completed an evaluation form. Feedback regarding the content and delivery was extremely positive, as the quotes below illustrate:

• "I am encouraged to be involved in audit and research."
   
• "Thought provoking. Every presentation had elements to enhance clinical practice."
   
• "Great day! Please repeat!"

• Presentations and abstracts

  Patient wellbeing and caregiver burden in long-term neurological conditions: Baseline: results from the OPTCARE Neuro trial (Nilay Hepgul; Kings College London)

   

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  Supporting the supporters: a national study of family carers’ contributions to end-of-life cancer care (Christine Rowland; University of Manchester)

   

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  What does complexity mean to patients and professionals? Part 1: A framework to help understand and define complexity in palliative care (Sophie Pask; Kings College London)

   

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  What does complexity mean to patients and professionals? Part 2: Capturing complexity at individual patient level (Cathryn Pinto, Kings College London)

   

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  Fostering employee gentleness through organisational routines and resources in palliative care (David Holman; AMBS, University of Manchester)

   

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  Multiple cause of death and hospital death in patients with end-stage liver disease in England, 2001-2014 (Jen-Kuei Peng; Kings College London)

   

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  Evaluating nurse-led clinics for secondary breast cancer (Carole Farrell; The Christie)

   

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  Weighing Patients in a Hospice Setting (Alison Phippen; St Ann’s Hospice)

   

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  Could a Person Centred Communication (PCComm) training intervention for recruitment nurses improve patient participation in RCTs in palliative care? (Karen Spencer; University of Manchester)

   

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  Auditing End-of-Life Care across the North West Region (Jess Briggs; North West Audit Group)

   

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  Enabling successful hospital discharge to home at end-of-life: can a Carer Support Needs Assessment Tool (CSNAT) help improve carer support? (Gunn Grande; University of Manchester)

   

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  Cancer-related information needs and decision making preferences in people with dementia who have cancer, their carers and cancer clinicians (Lorna McWilliams; The Christie)

   

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  Research Active Hospices Framework: A Collaborative Approach (Melanie Hodson; Hospice UK)

   

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Next Steps?
Continue to forge collaborative research, and engage more people and organisations in end-of-life research, with a view to repeating this conference in 2018.

More Information
For more information please contact Michael Spence (Programme Manager).