PRESS RELEASE
April 9TH2014
Immediate Release
TOP UK DOCTOR TO ADDRESS IRISH HOSPICE FOUNDATION’S PRIMARY PALLIATIVE CARE CONFERENCE 2014
-Booking now open for event on May 15th-
One of the UK’s leading GP’s will address theIrish Hospice Foundation’s (IHF) Primary Palliative Care Conference 2014next month.
Professor Mayur Lakhani, who is currently the Chairman of the UK National Council for Palliative Care, will focus on the topic of dying at home. A practising GP based in Leicestershire, he has been named one of the top 50 most influential people in the Health Services Journal (2006 & 2007) and is the principal author of the landmark document, ‘The Future Direction of General Practice: A Roadmap’.
Minister for State for Primary Care, Alex White TD, will open the day-long event titled ‘Living and Dying Well in the Community: The Future of Primary Palliative Care in Ireland’, which is being held at the Ashling Hotel in Dublin on Thursday, May 15th.
Dr Paul Gregan, Chair of the National Steering Committee on Primary Palliative Care will give the Irish perspective while attendees will also hear from Shirley Fife, a Cancer & Palliative Care Nurse Consultant based in Lothian, Scotland.
Dr Gregan stated: “We know that 80% of people with end stage disease in Ireland want to die at home. In the last year of their lives, the majority of their care is provided by a GP and a primary care team and we have seen a demand from healthcare professionals working in the community for resources and training in the area of palliative care. Therefore, we must keep moving forward in devising and implementing initiatives that support these professionals in managing the care of our most vulnerable patients when they need it most.”
Presentations will also be given on subjects like Medicines Management in Primary Palliative Care, Nurse Prescribing in the Community, the IHF’s advance planning tool Think Ahead as well as Out-of-Hours Palliative Care Handover Project being piloted in Kerry and Cork
CEO of the IHF Sharon Foley commented: “With an ageing population that is set to double in the next 20 years, it is vital we look at the future of Primary Palliative Care in Ireland now. We know from our research thatthe majority of people in Ireland would like to die at home so focusing on living and dying well in the community is of the utmost importance. Caring for someone at the end of their life is one of the most challenging experiences for a community based healthcare professional, so I would urge those professionals working in communities to join us on the day to hear about the latest developments in Primary Palliative Care but also to have their say about improving the structures currently in place.”
Booking for the event is now open. The cost is €80 per delegate. A limited number of student bursaries are also available. To find our more and to book your place, please email or log on to
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For more information:
Caroline Lynch, Head of Communications & Advocacy, the Irish Hospice Foundation
Phone:087 123 7586Email: