More than 70 healthcare professionals came together at Martin House Children’s Hospice for its first dedicated conference on children’s palliative care. Held at the charity’s newly redeveloped hospice in Boston Spa, the Martin House Children’s Hospice Conference 2026: Inspiring Excellence took place on Tuesday 15 September.
Across the day, delegates shared specialist knowledge, explored practical approaches to care and heard from experts working with children and young people with life-shortening conditions.
Practice Educators Mandy Thorpe and Jen Knell opened the programme with an introduction to specialist palliative care at Martin House and in the community.
Dr Michelle Hills, Chief Medical Officer and Consultant in Paediatric Palliative Medicine, and Clinical Nurse Specialist Helen Storton then explored real-life case studies, before leading an expert panel discussion.
The morning programme also included a talk by Dr Naomi Taylor and Sinead McBryde that discussed research at Martin House and its current projects.
Charlotte Walker, Deputy Director of Clinical Services at Martin House, said: “Children’s palliative care is about helping babies, children and young people live as fully and comfortably as possible, while supporting their whole family.”
“Children with life-shortening conditions may receive care in many different places, not only in a hospice. By sharing the expertise developed at Martin House, we can help more professionals feel confident supporting children and families wherever they encounter them.”
During the afternoon, delegates took part in practical workshops. These included simulation training designed to build confidence around care after death, alongside guidance on when and how to refer children and families to a children’s hospice.
They were also given tours of the newly transformed Martin House, including its hydrotherapy pool, giving professionals the opportunity to see first-hand some of the facilities available to the children and families supported by the hospice.
Throughout the day, there were opportunities for professionals to network and share learning, with Dr Hills signing copies of her new book, The Wrong Order of Things, during lunch.
Each year, Martin House supports more than 550 children and young people with life-shortening conditions, and their families, across West, North and East Yorkshire. Care is provided at the hospice, in hospitals and in families’ own homes.
The hospice’s Education Centre provides children’s palliative care training to healthcare professionals, helping share the specialist expertise developed at Martin House more widely.
For further information about Martin House Children’s Hospice, its Education Centre, and how to support it, visit: https://www.martinhouse.org.uk/
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About Martin House Children’s Hospice:
Martin House has been providing family-led specialist palliative care and support for children and young people with life-shortening conditions since 1987 (life-shortening means the child or young person is not expected to live beyond young adulthood). We provide 24/7 care and support 365 days a year.
Every year we support over 550 children and young people, and their families, plus around 200 bereaved family members across West, North and East Yorkshire, at our hospice, in hospitals and in families’ own homes.
The hospice, based in Boston Spa, has nine bedrooms in our children’s wing, and six in our teenage wing, which cares for teenagers and young people. Our services include specialist planned short breaks, symptom management, emergency care, community care and end-of-life care. Our facilities include a hydrotherapy pool, wellbeing centre and an education centre, providing children’s palliative care training to healthcare professionals.
Bereavement support is offered to families who have used Martin House, as well as to families whose child had a life-shortening condition but did not have the opportunity to use the hospice, or following a sudden death.
Martin House’s medical team includes three consultants in paediatric palliative medicine and also hosts two places to train future consultants. We are one of only around seven training centres in the UK.
There is no cost to any of the families using our services. It costs £13 million a year to provide this care, the majority of which comes from voluntary donations and fundraising.
Registered Charity Number 517919
For further information contact:
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