Sector news and updates

Keep up-to-date with discussions and activity around assisted dying by bookmarking our information page for members.

We are delighted to announce that The Westcott Group has secured a time and venue for the Hospice CEO Deliberative Event, as discussed with Toby Porter and hospice CEOs at the drop-in session at National Conference.

The event will take place from Wednesday 29 April at 13:00 to Friday 1 May 2026 at 13:00. The location of this event will be at the Oxford Thames Hotel, facilitated by The Westcott Group

As CEOs, you have expressed the need and desire for such an event both to Toby and, for those of you who already work with them, to The Westcott Group. The intention is for CEOs across the UK to step back, draw on expert facilitation, explore the significant strategic challenges and opportunities facing you as sector leaders, and leave with renewed and shared understanding, approaches, direction and peer support.

The event will be first come first served for 30 participants. Please hold this date in your diaries and details on the cost and how to book will follow soon.

Please note the dates of the remaining Hospice UK conferences for 2026. Programmes and booking instructions are always published in advance, but we are aware you might want to budget and hold diary dates now.
 

• Clinical and Workforce Leaders Conference
  Date: Tuesday 28 April 2026
  Location: Conference Aston, Birmingham
   
• Income Generation Leaders Conference
  Date: Thursday 2 July 2026
  Location: Conference Aston, Birmingham
   
• National Conference
  Dates: Monday 16 to Wednesday 18 November 2026
  Location: ACC, Liverpool

We are also planning an additional conference this year around Transition from Children to Adult Services, in September 2026.

We’re looking for two new trustees to join our Board and help guide the organisation’s future.

Digital Trustee
We’re seeking someone who has senior professional experience in technology, digital or data roles, and with a good understanding of charities or membership bodies.

Governance Trustee
We’re looking for someone who has recognised professional experience in governance, ideally gained in a charity or membership body.

The applications for both positions will close at midnight on Sunday 22 February.

This is a reminder to all independent hospices in England that we are completing the final checks of the catchment areas held by Hospice UK. This information is essential for our work with PopNAT, the new Members Data Portal, and for strengthening our national influencing on funding and commissioning.

If you receive an email request from the Hospice UK team, please review the catchment area we have recorded for your hospice and confirm or amend it. It is important that this information is as accurate as possible, as we will be using this data in national discussions.

Please respond to this request by mid February.

Looking for reliable knowledge and evidence to support your work, study or research?

If you’re a registered healthcare professional who provides NHS-commissioned care in England, then you’re eligible for a free NHS OpenAthens account. This gives you use of a wide range of digital knowledge resources to support clinical practice, learning and research. 

Resources include:

• NHS Knowledge and Library Hub - a single gateway to journals, books, clinical decision support tools, and databases like Medline.
• BMJ Best Practice is an award-winning online decision-support tool for use at the point of care. BMJ Best Practice draws on the latest evidence-based research to offer step-by-step guidance on diagnosis, prognosis, treatment and prevention.
• Royal Marsden Manual of Clinical Nursing Procedures includes over 350 evidence-based clinical procedures related to every aspect of care.
• BMJ Journals - You have full access to a range of BMJ journals including BMJ Supportive & Palliative Care. This covers all disciplines and specialties in palliative research.