RCPE – Palliative Medicine

Tuesday 23 June 2026

Courses

Tue 23 Jun 2026

13:00 - 16:45

Online

Activity code: Applied for 3 CPD credits

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Overview

This Palliative Medicine course will focus on the assessment and management of complex symptoms and challenging clinical decision-making in patients with advanced illness. The emphasis will be on presentations that are commonly encountered in acute and inpatient settings ensuring the course is clinically relevant for all those who work in the hospital setting. Using case-based presentations, evidence based discussions and the insights and experience of colleagues, each session will provide practical, clinically relevant learning to support confident, compassionate care.

Topics include:

Managing uncontrolled cancer-related pain in the AMU
Recognition and management of palliative care emergencies
Supporting patients who are distressed
The role of clinically assisted nutrition and hydration
Reframing a good death
Breathlessness in patients with known lung-cancer
Symptoms and management of raised intracranial pressure

This course is designed to be interactive case-based learning, encouraging shared learning, and will be relevant to all clinicians working across a range of specialties within various care settings, supporting improved symptom control and patient centred decision making.

Organising Committee:

Dr Ruther Isherwood (Chair)

Dr Thomas Downs

Dr Joanna Prentice

Programme

Tuesday 23 June 2026

13:00	Welcome RCPE Representative

Session 1

Chair: Dr Ruth Isherwood, Consultant Palliative Medicine, NHS Tayside, Dundee

13:05	Uncontrolled cancer - related pain in the AMU Recognising opioid toxicity decision making around naloxone * management of poorly opioid responsive pain * Dr Joanna Prentice, Consultant in Palliative Care Medicine, Ayrshire Hospice & Mr Paul Wilson, Specialist Pharmacist, NHS Fife
13:40	Decision making at the end of life * Decision making around treatment escalation plans & intervention * role of clinical assisted nutrition & hydration * practical ethics * reframing a good death Professor Derek Willis, Lead Consultant at Severn Hospice, Shrewsbury and Programme Director for West Midlands Palliative Care Training
14:15	What is a palliative care emergency? * Recognition of emergency * safe approach to decision making * tips for communicating with patients, familiar, colleagues * importance of providing support for all Dr Alistair McKeown, Queen Elizabeth University Hospital, Glasgow,
14:50	Break

Session 2

Chair: Dr Thomas Downs, Registrar in Palliative Medicine, NHS Fife

15:00	The breathless patient with known lung cancer * The role of further investigation(s) * predicting benefits of intervention – radiotherapy, pleural procedures * the role of opioids, benzodiazepines, other drugs and non-pharmacological approached in managing breathlessness *
15:35	Managing the symptoms of raised Intercranial Pressure (ICP) * managing nausea, headaches, seizures * role of steroids * role of re-imaging practical implications for patients – discharge, driving *
16:10	Beyond the physical: providing psychological and spiritual support in the acute hospital setting * presentation and recognition of distress in the acute care setting * impact of distress on physical symptoms * how to offer support * when to refer to colleagues Dr Christine Brown, Clinical Psychologist, NHS Tayside
16:40	Thanks, and Close

Please note that on occasion event programmes may be subject to change due to unforeseen circumstances.

Fees

Not a Member of RCPE? By joining the College, you can save up to 100% on event fees for our symposia, courses and Evening Medical Update programme. Find out more about joining the College and our membership benefits via our membership webpages.

Attendance options

All delegates will have catch-up access to all talks for 28 days following the live event.

Registration	Fee £
Standard Fee	£145
RCPE Fellow, Collegiate & Associate Member	£95
Allied Health Professional	£95
RCPE Retired Fellow and RCPE Foundation Member	£45
RCPE Fellow in low or lower-middle income country	£0
RCPE Student member	£0

Long term / other leave: Fellows and Members of RCPE, please contact the Event Co-ordinator as some discretion may be available.

Invoices

If you wish your employer/organisation to be invoiced for this event, please contact the Event Co-ordinator. Payment via invoice is not available for online booking.

Free places

Unpaid post: If an RCPE Member please provide confirmation of status to the event coordinator in order to access this event for free.

Refugee doctors: Free places are available to refugee doctors who are Associate Members of RCPE, please contact the event coordinator for more information. Associate Membership for refugee doctors is available free of charge, please visit our membership pages for more information on how to join the College as a refugee doctor.

Cancellation policy

If you have to cancel your place within 4 days of this event, we regret that we are unable to provide a refund.

If you are no longer able to attend in-person, you can still view the event online. The event will be available to view on-demand for 28 days after the live event, therefore, there is still opportunity to view the talks if you are not able to attend on the day.

Booking Terms & Conditions

Booking Terms & Conditions: Please read the College’s full event booking Ts&Cs regarding event changes, CPD, and data protection in the event policies section on our Event FAQ pages.

Further information

Certificates

All relevant events are approved for Continuing Professional Development (CPD). To receive a CPD certificate delegates must have completed the online feedback survey. The survey will close 28 days after the original broadcast of the event on 15 July 2026, with certificates being issued shortly after this.

Certificates cannot be issued after the survey has closed.

Catch-up

Registered delegates can view this event on catch-up for up to 28 days following the live event i.e. until 15 July 2026. Please note that in line with Federation rules, the CPD period is 28 days from the live event. To obtain a CPD certificate you must have completed the online feedback survey by 15 July 2026.

If you are unable to attend this event live but would like to view this event for 28 days post-event and qualify for a CPD certificate (if feedback is completed), please register before the live event is due to take place in order to be given access. It is not possible to register for catch-up viewing after the live event has taken place.

Event co-ordinator

Aine Serelis

Telephone

+ 44 (0)131 247 3620

a.serelis@rcpe.ac.uk

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