A summary of sessions taking place on the third and final day of our National Conference in Liverpool on 25 - 27 November 2025.
Looking for sessions of particular interest for you and your role? Our suggested key audiences, marked with 👥, can help you to plan your visit to the event.
Sessions with a '📽️' symbol next to them will be available for digital ticket holders to watch via a live stream.
Proactive Pharmacy: Future-proofing hospice care through medicine optimisation and digital innovation – kindly supported by Ashtons.
Speaker:
Graeme Whittaker, Head of Sales, Ashtons
Chair: Cat Sullivan, Senior Clinical Practice & QI Manager, Hospice UK
👥: Clinical
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09.00–10.15: Parallel sessions
Abstracts selected via the Call for Papers, to be announced.
👥: All delegates
Speakers:
Simon Hopkins, Freelance charity director
Jane Wheeler, CEO, Harlington Hospice
Emily Carter, CEO, Royal Trinity Hospice
Speaker from Insignis Cash
Chair: Craig Duncan, COO, Hospice UKr
Kindly supported by our Gold sponsors, Insignis Cash
👥: CEOs, Trustees, Finance
A facilitated public affairs workshop inviting hospices to discuss the political strengths of our movement and how to utilise this on a local basis.
Chair: Charlie King, Director of External Affairs, Hospice UK
👥: CEOs, Communications, Policy and Public Affairs
Session showcasing different hospice service models, including virtual wards, living well services, hospital in-reach services and single point of access.
These examples are highlighed in the new Hospice UK commissioning resource pack to support hospices and local health boards, which we launched in yesterday's parallel session about Commissioning support for local hospice services.
Speakers:
Dr Annabel Howell, Medical Director, Children's Hospices Across Scotland (CHAS)
Sara Robins, Director of Clinical Services and Deputy CEO, Arthur Rank Hospice Charity
Michelle Knight, Matron and Palliative Care Hub Service Lead at the Alan Hudson Centre, Arthur Rank Hospice Charity
Heather McLelland, Chief Nurse, St Gemma's Hospice
Dr Amy Gadoud, Honorary Community Consultant in Palliative Medicine, Trinity Hospice & Palliative Care Services; National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Research Delivery Network National Lead for Palliative Care
Emma Dawson, Advanced Practitioner, Trinity Hospice & Palliative Care Services
Chair: Anita Hayes, Clinical Quality Lead, Hospice UK
👥: CEOs, Clinical
Session on cultures and faiths, TBC
11.15-12.00: Fundraising and resilience 📽️
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Chair: Catherine Bosworth, Director of Income Generation and Grants, Hospice UK
👥: All delegates
12:15-12:55: Lunch session: Maximise learning from deaths
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This session presents a clinical quality and data approach from St Richard’s Hospice.
Speakers:
Dr Sarah Onions, St Richards Hospice
Emily Watts, Data manager, St Richards Hospice
Chair: Julia Russell, Senior Clinical Practice & QI Manager, Hospice UK
👥: Clinical
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13.00–14.15: Parallel sessions
Abstracts selected via the Call for Papers, to be announced.
👥: All delegates
This session will explore how to lead with compassion and the strength of showing vulnerability to strengthen teams and build a workplace culture that cares.
Speakers:
Toby Porter, Chief Executive, Hospice UK
Katharine Horler, Chair, Thames Hospice
Michael Crowther, CEO, The Kirkwood
Chair: Lucy Carpenter, Compassionate Employers Lead, Hospice UK
👥: CEOs and leadership, Trustees, People and Human Resources
A facilitated workshop sharing models and approaches for delivering care in rural communities.
Chair: Helen Malo, Senior Policy and Public Affairs Manager (Scotland), Hospice UK and author Bringing care closer to home: improving palliative care in remote, rural and island communities London: Hospice UK; 2025.
👥: Equity, Diversity and Inclusion, Community Engagement, Clinical
More sessions on topics including recruiting talent and commercial income generation.
14.30-15.30: Leadership skills workshop
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Speaker: Steve Charlton - Founder, The REAL. Leadership Consultancy
Chair: Jacqueline Gaffin, Head of People & Culture, Hospice UK
👥: All delegates
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Please note this programme is provisional and subject to change. More speakers and sessions will be confirmed, and updates will be made every two weeks.
