Day 2: Wednesday 26 November

The ultimate guide to thriving under CQC and Charity Commission regulation 

This session is kindly supported by DAC Beachcroft.

Explore the intricacies of regulation by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) and the Charity Commission in the hospice sector. Gain invaluable insights and practical strategies to navigate the challenges these regulations present.  

This session will provide:

• In-depth understanding: learn about the roles and responsibilities of the CQC and Charity Commission.
• Practical strategies: equip yourself with the knowledge to effectively manage compliance.
• Expert guidance: benefit from the expertise of Emma-Jane Dalley and Corinne Slingo from DAC Beachcroft. 

Session highlights: 

• Interactive discussions: engage with experts and peers in dynamic discussions
• Real-world applications: explore case studies and practical examples
• Q&A opportunities: get your questions answered by industry leaders. 

Speakers:

• Emma-Jane Dalley, Partner, DAC Beachcroft
• Corinne Slingo, Partner, DAC Beachcroft

Chair: Julia Russell, Senior Clinical Practice & QI Manager, Hospice UK 

👥: Clinical

This session includes four presentations of abstracts submitted via our Call for Papers:

• Breaking the mould: reclaiming spiritual care for an evolving generation – presented by Princess Alice Hospice
• Mapping deprivation and access to hospice care – presented by Royal Free Hospital & Royal Trinity Hospice
• ‘Are they choosing this or is it being done to them?’ Talking about inequity and social deprivation in palliative care – presented by Lancaster University
• Improving access and inclusion for deaf patients, relatives, volunteers and staff within a hospice: a multi-disciplinary QI project– presented by Royal Trinity Hospice

These abstracts are published in an online conference supplement published by BMJ Supportive & Palliative Care, an official journal of Hospice UK. 

Chair: Melanie Taylor, Evidence Lead, Hospice UK 

👥: All delegates

This session will launch a new pack of Hospice UK resources to support all local hospices and commissioners with contracting guidance, consistent service descriptions and frameworks for staffing and costing. 

These documents bring together Hospice UK has done with member hospices and the wider health and care sector to collate national guidance and local experience.  

Speakers: 

• Annette Alcock, Director of Programmes, Hospice UK
• Anita Hayes, Clinical Quality Lead, Hospice UK
• Jane Turner, Chief Nursing Officer, Sue Ryder

Chair: Annette Alcock

👥: CEOs, Clinical, Finance, People and Human Resources, Trustees

Hear from two hospices who are piloting a new Greener Palliative Care Award developed by the Palliative Care Sustainability Network. 

Find out how hospices are making changes to their clinical practice to lessen their environmental impact, and be part of a discussion around the benefits and barriers to this.

Speakers:

• Angela Hayes, Nurse Fellow and Project Lead, Centre for Sustainable Healthcare
• Dr Christine Mott, Medical Director, Acorns Children’s Hospices
• Dr Tiffany D’Silva, Junior Clinical Fellow in Palliative Medicine, Marie Curie Hospice, Cardiff and the Vale 

Chair: Paul Fraser, Deputy Director of Programmes, Hospice UK

👥: CEOs, Finance, Clinical

This session showcases integrated working between providers across the wider health and care system to enhance outcomes for palliative and end of life care patients. 

Drawing on their own experiences in primary care, community services, hospices, acute hospitals, and ambulance services, our colleagues will share examples of how and when partnership works well. Principles and design are replicable, and data and patient experience prove the benefits for all involved.

Speakers:

• Alice Lee, Clinical Nurse Specialist, St Barnabas Hospice (Lincoln)
• Dr Rakesh Koria, Acute Response Team GP Lead, NHS Kent & Medway ICB Ageing and Dying Well Clinical Lead
• Dr Sarah Mitchell, GP, Primary Care Sheffield Proactive Care Team; Clinical Associate Professor of Palliative Care, St Gemma’s Academic Unit of Palliative Care, University of Leeds; National Clinical Director for Palliative Care and End-of-Life Care, NHS England
• Dr Margred Capel, Clinical Lead, City Hospice 

Chair: Dr Sam Kyeremateng, Medical Director and Clinical Lead for Programme Development, St Luke’s Hospice, Sheffield and Trustee, Hospice UK

 👥: Clinical, CEOs, Trustees

The UK Commission on Bereavement found that 40% of adults who wanted formal bereavement support did not receive any. Four years later, very little has changed, and huge inequities remain. 

Join us for a discussion of the latest research, policy and innovative service delivery and how we can ensure everyone grieves with the care and support they need.     

 Speakers:

• Kerrie Jones, Bereavement Services Lead, Mary Stevens Hospice
• Dr Sabrina Bajwah, Clinical Reader in the Department of Palliative Care, Policy & Rehabilitation, King’s College London, and Honorary Palliative Care Consultant at King’s College Hospital; and Trustee, Hospice UK
• Dr Catriona Mayland, Senior Clinical Lecturer in Palliative Medicine, School of Medicine and Population Health, University of Sheffield
• Dr Alison Penny MBE, Assistant Director – Wellbeing, National Children’s Bureau;  Director, Childhood Bereavement Network; Coordinator, National Bereavement Alliance 

Chair: Jodie Beck, Policy & Public Affairs Manager (England), Hospice UK 

 👥: Equity, Diversity and Inclusion, Community Engagement

In response to requests for more occasions for CEOs across the nations to meet, we are offering this time together. Fellow hospice CEOs are welcome to drop into this session to catch up with each other and speak to Hospice UK CEO Toby directly. 

We will also have a proposal from the Westcott Group to share with you regarding more formal away time together in early 2026. Please come along to find out more and shape what would benefit you most in your leadership role in this ever-evolving hospice care sector.

👥: CEOs

This lunchtime session is an opportunity for clinicians to consider together the current issues surrounding assisted dying as the political process for assisted dying develops across the UK. With many uncertainties as to what lies ahead for our society and for those of us working in palliative care, this session will look together at some of the issues which are raising most concern across our sector. It will not be a debate about the pros and cons of assisted dying.

The session, which will be closed and exclusively for clinicians, provides an opportunity to listen and to share how others are navigating this time of uncertainty, while ensuring that the vital palliative care services that our growing number of patients need is not compromised.

This is not an event aimed at producing answers, but an opportunity to understand how others from our sector are responding to the very real challenges that this time has raised for us all irrespective of our personal position regarding assisted dying.

Chair: Professor Max Watson, Hospice UK[SM1] [GC2] [GC3] [MT4] 

👥: Clinical

Promoting evidence-based practice, journal clubs can also help improve communication, collaboration and critical thinking across every hospice team. Join us to find out how journal clubs work and how to implement them in your workplace.

 Speakers: 

• :Sarah Stanley, Research Nurse, Marie Curie Hospice, Liverpool
• Dr Amara Nwosu, Senior Clinical Lecturer in Palliative Medicine, Lancaster Medical School
• Catherine Eddy, Education Facilitator, St Mary’s Hospice

Chair: Prof. Kate Flemming PhD RN, Head of Department, Department of Health Sciences, University of York

👥: Research, Clinical

Add a splash of creativity to your lunchtime with this relaxing drop-in session. Design and paint your own wooden keyring or bookmark using eco-friendly materials and colourful paints. No experience or booking needed – just drop in and have fun.

👥: All delegates

This session includes four presentations of abstracts submitted via our Call for Papers:

• Virtual humans: leveraging virtual reality scenarios to improve meaningful communication training  - presented by St Christopher’s Hospice
• Escape the holistic hospice: gamification of medical education – presented by Velindre Cancer Centre
• Empowering social care practitioners: enhancing competencies in death, dying and bereavement care – presented by Arthur Rank Hospice Charity
• Building facilitator development: enhancing confidence and capabilities in communication skills education using RealTalk conversation analysis evidence resources – presented by Treetops Hospice

These abstracts are published in an online conference supplement published by BMJ Supportive & Palliative Care, an official journal of Hospice UK. 

Chair: Wayne de Leeuw, Chief Executive, Dorothy House

👥: All delegates

Hear first-hand from non-technical leaders in the hospice sector and beyond as they share their real-world experiences - what worked, what didn’t, how they overcame challenges and how you can help in your role as a leader. 

Speakers:

• Mark Hawkins, Chief Executive Officer, Rowcroft Hospice
• Julia Mixter, Executive Director of Business Services, Anchor Housing
• Chris Barritt, Branch Director, PIB Insurance Brokers
• Max Hurford, Charity & Not for Profit Account Handler, PIB Insurance Brokers

Chair: Steve Thorlby-Coy, Director of Transformation, Hospice UK

Kindly supported by our Gold sponsors, PIB Insurance

👥: Technology leads, CEOs, Trustees

This session will discuss how an integrated workforce improves care for palliative and end of life patients. It will focus on how different professions including GPs, district nurses, geriatricians and those in social care bring their expertise and work across professional and organisational boundaries. 

This is particularly pertinent in the context of workforce shortages, complexity of need, integrated neighbourhood teams and joint health and social care boards across the UK’s four nations, and given the challenges of training and supplying a workforce that can meet the ever-growing complexity and geography of demand.

Speakers:

• Prof. Fliss Murtagh, Professor of Palliative Care, Hull York Medical School
• Prof. Jugdeep Dhesi, President, British Geriatrics Society; Professor of Geriatric Medicine, Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust
• Dr Michelle Howarth, Professor in Health & Social Care, Associate Director, Centre for Social Responsibility, Edge Hill University; Chair of the Greater Manchester Social Care Advisory Council
• Dr Mona Sidhu, GP and Palliative and End of Life Care Clinical Lead for Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust Primary Care Network

Chair: Professor Max Watson, Hospice UK

👥: Clinical, CEOs, Trustees, People and Human Resources

Join us for a discussion on how best to work in partnership with our local communities to strengthen the care and support hospices provide.

We will highlight the common threads across a diverse range of projects focused on improving care and support for LGBTQ+ people of colour, Irish survivors of institutional abuse and people in poverty. 

Together, we will explore what it takes to meaningfully engage with the people we serve to drive positive change.    

 Speakers: 

• Gemma Allen, Director of Strategy, Innovation and Communications, The Mary Stevens Hospice and Co-founder and Lead, No Barriers Here

• Dr Jed Jerwood, Honorary Clinical Associate Professor, University of Birmingham; Advanced Clinical Academic Art Psychotherapist, Birmingham and Solihull Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust and Co-founder, No Barriers Here

• Emma Browrigg, Poverty Proofing Health Team Manager, Children North East

• Ailbhe Cashman, Poverty Proofing coordinator, Children North East 

• Dr Jo Brady, Deputy Medical Director, North London Hospice   

• Brian Dalton, CEO, Irish in Britain

Chair: Katie Reade, Head of Policy & Public Affairs, Hospice UK 

 👥: Equity, Diversity and Inclusion, Community Engagement

At this session you will hear how adult hospices can make the first steps to caring for young people moving from children’s to adult hospice care.  

We will highlight the importance of adult hospices being part of the support for young people with a life-limiting condition. You'll have a chance to put questions to the four Centres of Learning who are integral to the Hospice UK National Transition Programme.

Speakers:

• Joanna Elverson, Specialist Palliative Medicine Consultant, St Oswald’s Hospice
• Sharon Warner, Transition Lead, Rainbows Hospice
• Tracy Jones, Director of Family Wellbeing & Outreach Services, Tŷ Hafan Children’s Hospice
• Dr Sheonad Laidlaw, Specialty Doctor in Palliative Medicine, Clinical Lead Young Adult Service, The Prince and Princess of Wales Hospice
• Professor Lorna Fraser, Professor of Palliative Care and Child Health, King’s College London[GC4] 

Chair: Amanda Whateley, Clinical Programme Manager – Transition, Hospice UK 

👥:  Clinical, CEO, Community Engagement

 Join us for a drinks reception celebrating Saint Elizabeth Foundation’s and Hospice UK’s shared passion for reaching those most excluded in our societies with high quality and compassionate palliative and end of life care. 

This event is an opportunity to meet like-minded peers and colleagues dedicated to achieving equity of access across the sector. 

👥: All delegates

The co-chairs of the Ambitions National Partnership for Palliative Care and End of Life Care in England invite you to join them and senior health and care leaders for drinks to celebrate the launch of their new work programme. 

👥: All delegates