News

Professor Scott Murray has been awarded the Cicely Saunders International Award 2026 by the European Association of Palliative Care.

Breathlessness is a common and upsetting symptom for people living with serious illnesses. It can make everyday activities harder, reduce quality of life and increase the need for healthcare. To improve treatments and support services, it is important to understand how people experience breathlessness in daily life. In this study, researchers explored the experiences of people living with long-term breathlessness and looked at how the condition affects them and what can make it worse.

Breathlessness is a common and upsetting symptom for people with serious illnesses. In an article published in the BMJ in April, palliative care experts Dr Sabrina Bajwah and Dr Natasha Lovell highlighted the results of a survey of Breathlessness Support Services in the UK and Republic of Ireland.

Palliative care supports people living with a wide range of serious illnesses, helping them manage symptoms, stay independent, and improve their quality of life. Ramjeawon N, Higginson IJ.  Old Wisdom, New Technologies: Sustaining Palliative Care.

Intensive care units (ICUs) are increasingly managing patients with greater clinical complexity and life-limiting conditions. A recent systematic review of the evidence highlighted that early palliative care, integrated alongside active treatment and not just at the end-of-life, can significantly improve outcomes for both patients and their families.

A new study published in March by researchers at the National Institute for Health and Research (NIHR) Policy Research Unit in Palliative and end of life care, considered two modes of care: for those living at home and for those in acute hospital settings.

MPs have called for fundamental reform of palliative and end‑of‑life care policy in England, warning that the current system is fragmented, inequitable and unable to meet rising demand. The Commons debate on 5 March 2026, led by Rachael Maskell MP, centred on the findings of the Independent Palliative Care Commission and highlighted widespread consensus that existing arrangements are no longer fit for purpose.

For the first time, the ONS has published data showing whether people with chronic illnesses are receiving all the benefits they are entitled to during their final year of life. The new data shows that 34% of people who died from a chronic illness did not claim the non-means tested disability benefits they were entitled to under the ‘Special Rules for End of Life’.

People living with advanced cancer often experience a wide range of physical, emotional, and practical challenges, especially when receiving care at home. This study explored whether a Hindi version of a short questionnaire, called the Integrated Palliative Care Outcome Scale (IPOS), can help patients clearly share how they are feeling and what support they need.

New research from the Cicely Saunders Institute and other colleagues at King’s College London has asked whether Assisted Dying, whereby an individual is helped by a medical professional to end their own life, should be considered a “treatment”.

People living with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) often face more than physical symptoms. Many also experience social isolation and loneliness. These social challenges can have a major impact on health and wellbeing, yet they are often overlooked in respiratory care. Researchers based at the Cicely Saunders Institute explored how social connection affects the lives of people with COPD, and how it influences their health and daily functioning.

A national study of people who died in England and Wales found that individuals in poorer financial circumstances were more likely to experience severe or overwhelming pain in their final week of life. This highlights a link between socioeconomic disadvantage and poorer end‑of‑life outcomes.

Better continuity of care with GPs for people with dementia who are in their final year of life can save the NHS money, according to new research from academics at the Cicely Saunders Institute. The study, published in the British Journal of General Practice, used data from adults with a diagnosis of dementia who died in England between 2009 and 2018.

Most people prefer not to die in hospital, yet it remains the most common place of death in England and Wales. This study used high-quality self-reported ethnicity data from the national Census, linked to death records for a 1% sample of the population who died between 2011 and 2017.

Researchers at the Cicely Saunders Institute and Hull-York Medical School and Leeds NHS Trust have published the results of a study of healthcare professionals views about palliative care services for children. Although end-of-life care for children has improved in recent years, there are still major inequalities in how 24/7 care is funded and provided. As a result, many families do not get the support they need. To improve services, it is important to understand what currently works, what does not, and how healthcare professionals experience delivering round-the-clock care.

Professor Julia Verne, Visiting Professor of Public Health at the Cicely Saunders Institute (CSI), has been awarded an MBE for Services to End of Life Care and Public Health.

We were sad to learn of the death of Kay Glendinning MBE, former trustee of Cicely Saunders International. Kay was the great niece of Herbert E. Dunhill, founder of the Dunhill Medical Trust (now The Vivensa Foundation) and had over 30 years experience as a Trustee, Administrator and Director at Dunhill.