About us

We have developed and utilised innovative research methods internationally to provide evidence in a coherent series of studies that palliative care should:

1. broadened its focus from cancer to include all progressive life-threatening conditions 
2. start earlier than in the last weeks or months
3. be available in all care settings
4. is provided by a wide range of clinicians in primary and secondary care, and palliative care specialists
5. include low- and middle-income countries
6. support family carers 
7. promote living and dying well

The Edinburgh Primary Palliative Care Research Group has shifted the boundaries and the traditional understanding and practice of palliative care by establishing new models to extend the reach and nature of end-of-life care. Having developed and tested theoretical understandings of illness trajectories, multimorbidity and care experiences at the end of life, the research group has used research findings to advocate for a redesign of services to make palliative care more accessible. Palliative care policies and clinicians internationally are increasingly adopting this framework with its emphasis on provision of services according to need not diagnosis or prognosis alongside fostering compassonate communities based on informal support networks.

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