Modern day pain specialists continue to be fascinated by the actions and interactions of particular drugs in specific combinations. As the art and science of such work progresses it is worth reminding ourselves of practices and assumptions that prevailed in the not too distant past – and how quickly these could change. In this respect,… Continue reading
Modern activists in palliative and end of life care work increasingly in a global context, where international links and collaborations have been become a regular feature of day to day activity. But it was not always the case. The early pioneers lived in an era before the internet and instant electronic communication. It is interesting… Continue reading
I am delighted to report that Dr Derek Doyle received the award of Honorary Doctor of Science from the University of Glasgow at a graduation ceremony on our Dumfries Campus, on 9 July. The award was made by the University Chancellor, Professor Sir Kenneth Calman. It was a special moment for the two of them,… Continue reading
A new report has just appeared from the excellent Atlantes team at the University of Navarra in Spain. It sets out a detailed description of the development in Europe of palliative medicine as a field of specialisation. This is a challenging issue to study, in a context where modes of accreditation, licensing and associated procedural… Continue reading
Very soon Dame Barbara Monroe will retire after a tremendous term of office as Chief Executive at St Christopher’s Hospice in South London – and many years there before that as a practising social worker. The event set me thinking about the early origins of St Christopher’s and some of the factors that shaped its… Continue reading
This week I want to focus on a recent blogpost by the sociologist Yasmin Gunaratnum, about the values we place on differing deaths. I was drawn to Yasmin’s piece at a time when, like many others I was trying to make sense of the rape and murder of two young Dalit girls in India. Yasmin’s… Continue reading
This week sees the ‘world’ congress of palliative care research taking place in Lleida, Spain. I am not attending, though it is good to keep up with the event by reading the abstracts that have been published in the June edition of Palliative Medicine and by following #EAPC2014. Actually, I have grown a bit sceptical… Continue reading
I am working on a new book at the moment, entitled To Comfort Always: A history of palliative medicine from the nineteenth century. In the opening chapter, I try to tease out some of the approaches to pain relief that were developing during the Victorian period in Britain. It is a fascinating trajectory. As the… Continue reading
