Experts call for transformational change in palliative care

The biannual conference organised by the Wolfson Palliative Care Research Centre, Hull York Medical School at the University of Hull, highlighted pressures on a system that sees one in three people in England and Wales die with unmet health needs or without access to effective healthcare.

The event focused on how evidence can support more equitable, compassionate and effective palliative care.

Professor Fliss Murtagh, Director of the Wolfson Palliative Care Research Centre and one of just three experts who gave evidence to the Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee enquiry on hospice care, said:

“Good quality care in the last months of life is essential, yet in 2026 it is still not the experience of many people.

“We already understand many of the challenges facing palliative and end-of-life care. The focus now must be on how research can drive meaningful change and improve outcomes for patients and families.

“Later this year, the Government will publish its Modern Service Framework which aims to end the postcode lottery in access to high-quality end of life care. We expect the framework to reflect the significant evidence and insight we have developed with colleagues at King’s College London and other partners and shared with Parliament and policymakers to inform national policy.”

Discussions explored the challenges facing rural and coastal communities, inequalities in access to care, the cost-effectiveness of specialist palliative services, and how research can have greater impact on policy and practice.

Keynote speaker Professor Katherine Sleeman, Laing Galazka Chair in Palliative Care at the Cicely Saunders Institute, King’s College London, said:

“Someone is dying every three minutes in pain and distress who should not be.

“Access to palliative care is not equal. Without radical, transformational change, existing inequalities will widen as demand continues to increase.

“We need to stop ‘admiring the problem’ and focus instead on using evidence to drive policy change.”

Delegates heard how an ageing population, often living with multiple complex conditions, is increasingly concentrated in rural and coastal areas where access to services can be more limited.

The conference, at the University's Middleton Hall, also highlighted inequalities experienced by people from minority ethnic communities, people living with serious mental illness, and some frontline professionals providing care.

Research presented showed that awareness of palliative care and trust in healthcare professionals can vary between communities, affecting access to support. People from minority ethnic backgrounds are also more likely to experience poorer pain management and higher rates of emergency hospital admissions at the end of life.

Professor Jonathan Koffman, Professor of Palliative Care and Associate Director of the Wolfson Palliative Care Research Centre, said:

“It is not enough simply to document inequities. We have a responsibility to help remove them.

“Research should improve lives, inform policy and help deliver better care for the people who need it most.”

Professor Murtagh said: “Our research can help to influence policy makers, to make a difference for patients and for society.

“Specialist palliative care can significantly improve quality of life and emotional wellbeing, particularly when support is offered earlier. Too often, too little palliative care is provided too late.

“People approaching the end of their life are often seeking better quality of life, rather than more time of poor quality. Effective community-based palliative care can improve patient experience while reducing reliance on costly and unnecessary acute hospital services.

“Above all the NHS must recognise that dying, as much as birth, is its business. The Modern Service Framework will be judged on whether it delivers equitable access to high-quality, integrated, 24/7 community-based specialist care, supported by the workforce and resources needed to make equitable care a reality.”

Visit the Hull York Medical School website to find out more about the Wolfson Palliative Care Research Centre.