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The next webinar in the series will take place on 16 September at 1100 (GMT). It focuses on the pressing issue of timely access to end-of-life medication and is chaired by Dr Ben Bowers (University of Cambridge). Presentations are delivered by leading researchers:  Associate professor Sarah Yardley and senior research fellow Dr Sally-Anne Francis  (UCL), who explore the work involved in managing end-of-life medications across settings, and the critical gaps between work-as-intended and work-as-done Dr Rosanna Fennessy (University of Cambridge), who shares recent research mapping patient journeys to understand experiences with anticipatory prescribing and how care can be improved Dr Ikumi Okamoto (University of Edinburgh), who examines challenges to timely access to medications issues during out-of-hours periods.  The session will conclude with a live Q&A, giving participants the opportunity to engage with the speakers. More information and to book a place:  https://arc-sl.nihr.ac.uk/events-training/events-training/timely-access-end-life-medication-webinar

As populations around the world age, the prevalence of chronic and serious illness is rising. In this lecture, Professor Van den Block will examine how palliative care systems must evolve to meet these growing needs. She will discuss current evidence, identify gaps in knowledge and service delivery, and suggest future directions for research, education and practice. The lecture will highlight the importance of integrated, collaborative care models in improving the lives of older people and their families. The Cicely Saunders International Annual Lecture, hosted by the Cicely Saunders Institute at King’s College London, brings together global leaders whose work has profoundly influenced palliative and end-of-life care. These lectures are aimed at clinicians, healthcare researchers, policymakers, and funders - and offer a rare opportunity to engage with cutting-edge developments in the field. We look forward to welcoming you to this hybrid event on Tuesday 21 October, 4pm (GMT).  https://www.kcl.ac.uk/events/cicely-saunders-international-annual-lecture-2025

The second volume of the Palliative and End-of-Life Care commission report has been published. The Palliative and End-of-Life Care commission's work aims to produce evidence based recommendations to address the difficulties and gap in access to high quality palliative care in the UK. Professor Irene Higginson was invited to become a commissioner and attend hearings. She has contributed to the work of the commission alongside others.  Volume 2 of the report can be accessed here -  https://palliativecarecommission.uk/

Members of the BETTER-B team attended the 19th World Congress of the European Association for Palliative Care held during May 2025. To read more please go to the EAPC page in the Project menu.