Palliative Care Research Network Symposiums
The Annual Palliative Care Research Network Symposium offers researchers opportunities to learn from global experts, share and exchange knowledge and network with peers. Information about the 2020 Symposium can be found below, programmes for past event can be found at the bottom of the page.
The Context
During this year we have all seen the need for more people to be able to access a palliative care approach. That includes people at home wherever home is whether in nursing homes or residential settings in the community. The focus of this year’s Symposium is community-based palliative care research to improve the quality of life for people with palliative care needs and their families.
The Symposium
All Ireland Institute of Hospice and Palliative Care (AIIHPC) Palliative Care Research Network 9th Annual Symposium is an island of Ireland event that promotes the impact of palliative care research to improve palliative care by changing practice and policy. It provides access for early, mid-career and senior researchers and key stakeholders to leading international and national research and opportunities to network and collaborate.
Due to COVID-19 the event was held online with 139 participants from the island of Ireland and internationally including family carers, researchers, health care professionals, general practitioners, service providers, policy makers, charity organisations, funders and interested citizens.
Some of the highlights from the day included keynote presentations on the importance of being able to measure the effectiveness of palliative care interventions by looking at outcome measures, new models of community-based palliative care and role of primary and GP care in providing palliative care for all.
During a lively panel discussion, participants had the opportunity to pose questions to the expert speakers that included researchers, clinicians and Voices4Care.
There were also abstract presentations from Early Career Researcher Forum (ECRF) members, and a celebration of the role of palliative care
community nurses during the WHO Year of the Nurse and the Midwife.



We would like to acknowledge our expert speakers on the day, Professor Kathy Eagar (Health Services Research Institute, University of Wollongong, Australia), Professor Fliss Murtagh (Hull York Medical School, Cicely Saunders Institute, Kings College London, NHS Trust) and Professor Scott Murray, (Emeritus Professor, University of Edinburgh) and panel members Daithí O’Reilly (Voices4Care member) and Dr Brian Creedon (Waterford University Hospital and HSE Clinical Lead for Palliative Care). Also, the support of Professor Joanne Reid (Queens University Belfast, Chair of the Palliative Care Research Network), Professor Suzanne Guerin (University College Dublin, Vice-Chair of the Palliative Care Research Network), Professor Charles Normand (Cicely Saunders Institute, Trinity College Dublin), Associate Professor Michael Connolly (UCD), and Monika Pilch (Chair of the Early Career Research Forum).
Further Information:
Symposium agenda: link
Watch video presentations from the Symposium: link
View PowerPoint presentations from the Symposium:
- Professor Joanne Reid – PCRN
- Professor Fliss Murtagh – Looking into the future
- Prof Scott Murray – Palliative care for all by all
If you have any queries or comments about the Symposium please contact Clodagh O’Donovan, PCRN Project Manager AIIHPC at codonovan@aiihpc.org.
Supported by:


