Lewis-Manning Hospice Care (LMHC), in association with The Centre for Wellbeing and Long-Term Health at Bournemouth University, hosted its Visiting Professor Lecture on Wednesday, 5th February 2025. Click through for details…
The event, which took place at the Wolfson Lecture Theatre at Bournemouth University, focused on the critical issues surrounding Palliative and End of Life Care, with expert speakers offering insights into the future of services, education, research, and the ongoing challenges faced by patients and healthcare professionals alike.
The lecture featured headline speaker, Professor Bee Wee CBE, former National Clinical Director for End-of-Life Care at NHS England, and a leading figure in Palliative Medicine.
Professor Wee delivered a keynote address on the Future of Palliative and End of Life Care, exploring the evolution of these services, key challenges in the field, and potential solutions to address health inequalities. As a Consultant in Palliative Medicine at Sobell House and Katharine House Hospice, as well as a Visiting Professor at Bournemouth University, Professor Wee brings extensive expertise to the topic.
Professor Bee Wee reflected on the longevity of the NHS, 77 years this year and acknowledged how many will not remember a world without it and that we should treasure it. She referenced the Health & Care Act of 2022 which made it a statutory requirement that palliative care be provided everywhere, with the act acknowledging the problem of a lack of funding and sanctioned areas where this was not happening.
She discussed some of the challenges that we face, ‘now and into the future’, a selection of which are detailed below;
- “Demand is increasing, with numbers going up, from over 500,000 deaths right now to a projected 620,000 by 2040, with people being older as treatments increase life expectancy, and the range of interventions growing too.
- “Perceptions are changing for the better, and people recognise that there is help and support available.
- “On the supply side, service models have changed, becoming less clear-cut so we need clarity, but we also need to recognise that working together is powerful and important.
- “Workforce is an issue for us. It’s about supply and the pipeline to supply, something we’re not going to solve overnight. It’s not just as simple as pouring money in, it’s about recognising that we have that pipeline.
- “Technology is a wonderful thing in many ways but also quite terrifying sometimes. We’re relying on our users to be quite tech savvy and of course, some of them are but it also has a risk of leaving some people way out and left behind. We must be mindful of that technology
- “Expectations have changed; from the people we serve but also our own expectations.
- “Inequalities have widened, as we know, particularly in some areas of deprivation. It’s a shame that we’re in a developed world, where we are so advanced and so proud of what we’ve done and yet those inequalities are widening.”
Professor Bee Wee went on to identify priorities for the future, from a personal perspective;
- Timely engagement with people who need palliative care,
- skilling up the workforce,
- harnessing energy, experience and ideas,
- support and supervision, and improving joy in work.
- Around community-focused care
- to achieve timely and responsive access,
- continuity,
- coordination,
- technology-facilitated and
- integration with social care.
In addition to Professor Wee’s lecture, the event also featured a variety of impactful presentations, including:
- Clare Gallie, CEO of Lewis-Manning Hospice Care, who provided a welcome address and shared the impact of the charity services helping over 1,000 local Dorset people a year with services at home, in local hubs and virtually, education programmes, PhD research and nursing scholarships. The importance of supporting the NHS by preventing avoidable hospital admissions and GP contacts and the work that Lewis-Manning is doing to achieve this was detailed. As was the clear vision to work in partnership and collaboration with local Dorset end of life providers and local charities now and into the future.
- Cathy Beresford, LMHC PhD scholar, presented findings from her research on Experiences of Care in Advanced Liver Disease, shedding light on the lived experiences of patients and families in this area.
- A panel interview with nursing students participating in the LMHC Scholarship Programme was moderated by Professor Bee Wee. The students shared their insights into the challenges and significant rewards of this scholarship and pursuing a career in end-of-life care.
- Professor Sam Porter and Dr Duncan Randall from the Centre for Wellbeing and Long-Term Health discussed their ongoing work in improving the quality of care for people with long-term health conditions and exciting initial plans to undertake further work with Lewis-Manning in this area.
The event concluded with closing remarks from Clare Gallie, CEO of LMHC, who thanked attendees and participants for their contributions and engagement and offered an invitation to those in the room, including healthcare professionals and other hospice charities to work more closely together for the benefit of those people at end of life in east Dorset and Purbeck.
The event was described by senior figures in healthcare who attended as ‘Inspirational and Uplifting’.
Clare Gallie, CEO of Lewis-Manning Hospice Care, said:
“We are delighted to have hosted this important event, which brings together some of the brightest minds in Palliative and End of Life Care. The future of this field is vital, not only for patients but for the healthcare system as a whole. It has been wonderful to share insights, discuss the challenges that we face in the sector, and collectively explore ways to improve care for those who need it most through partnership and collaboration.”
The event was generously funded by The Centre for Wellbeing and Long-Term Health and Ferndown based business, Superior Seals and was attended by professionals and stakeholders from across the healthcare sector, including those directly involved in palliative and end-of-life care.
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