Palliative Care Research Conference
Thursday 5 June 2025, 9:30 - 16:00
Located at the Hospice in Winsley on Thursday 5 June 2025, we’re delighted to be hosting a collaborative Palliative Care Research Conference focusing on palliative care research in residential and community settings.
Using Research to Optimise Care in Community Settings
Learn about the latest research and best practices in providing palliative care in both residential and community settings.
Bringing together researchers, practitioners, patients across residential and community settings to share insights and best practice.
About the Conference
Event Agenda
09:30 – 09:35 – Welcome from Wayne de Leeuw, Chief Executive & Prof Candy McCabe, Head of Education & Research
Chairs
Penny Agent, Care Services Chief Operating Officer
Bridget Warr, Trustee
09:35 – 10:10 – Keynote Speaker – Dr Ben Bowers QN
Welcome post-doctoral research fellow, University of Cambridge
Title: Using injectable end-of-life medications at home in a safe, effective and timely way
10:10 – 10:25 – Dr Diana Teggi
Lecturer in Sociology (Ageing, Sexuality and End of Life Care), University of Bath
Title: Care home staff’s non-medical approaches to harm reduction
10:25 – 10:50 – Sandra Prew
National Settings & Specialty Lead Residential Settings – NIHR Clinical Research Network
10:50 – 11:20 – Coffee & Networking
Chairs
James Byron, Director of Marketing and Engagement,
Francesca Thompson, Trustee
11:20 – 11:50 -Dr Tamara Backhouse
Research Fellow, University of East Anglia
Title: How can we improve personal care assistance for people living with advanced dementia?
11:50 – 12:10 – Panel Q&A: Presenters from the morning
12:10 – 12:45 – Winning Abstracts
12:45 – 13:30 – Lunch & networking
Chairs
Dr Emma Frampton, Medical
Dr. Simon Burrell, Trustee Director
13:30 – 14:05 – Keynote Speaker
14:05 – 14:20 – NIHR Incubator for Palliative and End of Life Care
Prof Candy McCabe Head of Education & Research at Dorothy House Hospice Care
14:20 – 14:45 – Poster Viewing
14:45 – 15:05 – Polly Maxwell, PhD Student and Patient story, University of Bath
15:05 – 15:25 – Exploring the intimacy needs of people during Palliative and End of Life Care
Dr Kate Sugar – Dorothy House Hospice Researcher
Claire Prendergast – Dorothy House Lead Research Nurse
15:25 – 15:50 – MND Patient Story
Dawn Beckett – MND Specialist Practitioner, Royal United Hospital
Claire Prendergast – Dorothy House Lead Research Nurse
15:50 – 16:00 – Close & Evaluation, Professor Candy McCabe
Meet our Keynote Speakers
Dr Ben Bowers
PhD, MSc, BA, RN, PGCert Med Ed
Ben is a Wellcome Post-Doctoral Fellow, University of Cambridge, and a practicing Honorary Nurse Consultant in Palliative Care. Ben is an interdisciplinary clinical-academic nurse, working with colleagues in engineering, patient safety and social sciences. Ben leads a programme of research focused on improving dignified dying and last-days-of-life symptom control care at home. His research includes the voices and experiences of patients, families and under-served communities. Ben has researched anticipatory prescribing practices and experiences of care extensively.
In 2023, to mark the 75th anniversary of the NHS, Ben was announced as one of the 75 nurses and midwives whose work has had an especially significant impact on the NHS since its creation. Ben was awarded the RCGP and Society for Academic Primary Care Outstanding Early Career Researcher Award 2024 and the European Association for Palliative Care Early Researcher Award 2023, in recognition of his exceptional contributions to primary care and palliative care research.
Ben leads the UK-wide QNI Community Nursing Research Forum, building research capacity across nursing specialities. He is the Deputy Theme Lead of Palliative and End of Life Care for the NIHR Applied Research Collaboration East of England.
Find more information about Ben’s publications and research on ORCID
Dr Tamara Backhouse
Dr Tamara Backhouse is a research fellow at the University of East Anglia. Her research focuses on improving personal care interactions for people with dementia and their caregivers, with a particular emphasis on managing refusals of care in advanced dementia. Tamara, a care worker herself for many years, is passionate about supporting health and social care staff in what can be a tricky area of dementia care practice.
How to Find Us: Accommodation Recommendations
Accommodation recommendations: Timbrell’s yard, Travelodge & Premier Inn Bath, Bailbrook.
The closest railway station to the Hospice is in Bradford on Avon, with available bus routes which can bring you into Winsley.
We have free parking at the Hospice, with Electric Vehicle charging points in our top car park.
Research at Dorothy House
At the Centre for Education & Research we are dedicated to advancing knowledge and transforming the landscape of palliative and end-of-life care through rigorous research and service-evaluation.
Why does research matter?
Despite the nature of hospice care, and the multiple challenges that people who are using our services face, we know from published literature that participation in research is often really valued by our participants.
For example, it can provide direct health and well-being benefits to the research participant themselves, or provide them with a sense of purpose and reward by potentially benefiting others in the future. We are proud to offer research participation opportunities to people who access our services.
Get in touch
For more information about the Conference, please get in touch by emailing our team: research@dorothyhouse-hospice.org.uk