The brother of Dame Cicely Saunders, the pioneer of the modern hospice, is scheduled to speak at the University of Nottingham in late September.
Christopher Saunders, former trustee and now life president of Cicely Saunders International, will deliver a guest seminar entitled The Hospice Movement — Then and Now: From Cicely Saunders’ Brother for the University’s Sue Ryder Care Centre on Thursday 24th September.
The seminar will include the opening of St Christopher’s as the foundation stone of the hospice movement and insights into Dame Cicely’s work on terminal care and her life’s work. Furthermore, he will explore what has changed since then and her achievements whilst introducing some of the key people who made contributions along the way.
Dame Cicely founded the St Christopher’s Hospice in 1967 linking expert pain and symptom control, clinical research and teaching, and compassionate care.
She was born in 1918 in Herfordshire and trained as a nurse, a medical social worker and a physician before dedicating her life to palliative care and the hospice movement. She is recognised to have revolutionised the way in which society for the ill, the dying and the bereaved.
“This is a unique opportunity to learn more about Dame Cicely’s life and work and to share reflections on the global significance of her legacy for palliative care today and into the future”
Jane Seymour, Sue Ryder Professor in Palliative and End of Life Studies and Head of the centre, said: “We are honoured that Christopher Saunders has agreed to visit the University of Nottingham and very much looking forward to welcoming him to the Sue Ryder Care Centre. This is a unique opportunity to learn more about Dame Cicely’s life and work and to share reflections on the global significance of her legacy for palliative care today and into the future.”
The Sue Ryder Care Centre for the Study of Supportive, Palliative and End of Life Care (SRCC), was founded in 2006 following a philanthropic donation from a private trust and has a special collaboration with the charity Sue Ryder, a key provider of palliative and neurological care.
The centre’s research aims to lead to greater understanding of patient experience of chronic, debilitating and life-threatening illness and improvement in professional delivery of healthcare.
The research focus of the centre reaches beyond cancer into traditionally under-researched areas including older people, stroke and dementia and its remit extends to prevention, screening, diagnosis, treatment, follow-up and care of the dying and the translation of the latest research findings into real-world benefits for patients and their families.
The centre was one of a number of high-impact projects chosen to receive support from Impact: The Nottingham Campaign, the university’s biggest every fundraising campaign which was launched in 2011.
Hannah Eves
Image: cicelysaundersinternational.org
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