Stakeholder

Southern Area Hospice Services based in Newry today launched their inaugural conference on palliative care. The Conference ‘Palliative Care- a vision for the future’ will take place on Wednesday 30th September 2009 and is part of the Hospice’s celebration of 20 years of hospice care. The one day event will address the challenges and issues facing those working in the field of palliative care while looking at potential future developments in the hospice sector.

Palliative Care- a vision for the future was launched by the BBC’s Nicholas Owen who himself has experienced his own personal battle with cancer. The Conference brings together a number of high profile speakers including healthcare professionals, palliative care experts and speakers from the hospice sector. It will also look at palliative care from a patient perspective.

Dr. Osmond Morris, Consultant in Palliative at Southern Area Hospice said, “This is an exceptional event taking place during the Hospice’s 20th anniversary year. We are privileged to have a wide range of experts in the field addressing delegates and debating the issues we collectively face on a daily basis. We hope that delegates will find this conference both engaging and informative.”

Professor Patrick Johnston, Dean of the School of Medicine, Dentistry and Biomedical Sciences at Queens University, Belfast said, “Palliative care is an integral part of the health care system across the Island of Ireland and further a field. This Conference allows professionals in all capacities to examine the future of palliative care, the developments and the challenges facing the hospice movement. I am delighted to be involved with this event and look forward to the debate and discussion the programme will stimulate among delegates.”

TV personality Nicholas Owen who will be hosting the event added, “I am delighted to have been invited to launch and host this fantastic event. There have been so many developments in the field of palliative care and the hospice movement since the launch of Southern Area Hospice in 1989. This conference will give delegates an insight into palliative care from a consultant, nursing, academic and very importantly a patient perspective with opportunities to engage and debate the current issues.”

The Conference will take place on Wednesday 30th September at the Canal Court Hotel in Newry, Co. Down, Northern Ireland. The one day event will start with registration at 9am and end at 5pm with a celebratory evening dinner. Further information and delegate registration is available by logging onto www.southernareahospiceservices.org or contacting Breda Hamill at Stakeholder Communications on (+44) 28 90339949 or breda@stakeholdergroup.com .