More than 530 people attended the National ARC Palliative and End-of-Life Care Webinar on Symptom Management in Palliative and End-of-Life Care. The event brought together researchers, clinicians and health and care professionals to share evidence and practical approaches for improving symptom management.
Held on 22 September 2026 and chaired by Dr Ben Bowers, ARC East of England Palliative and End-of-Life Care Co-Theme Lead, the webinar marked the tenth event in the National ARC Palliative and End of Life Care Webinar Series. The one-hour session packed in three expert presentations, plenty of audience questions and a wide-ranging discussion on improving symptom management in palliative and end-of-life care.
The webinar attracted more than 1,000 registrations, with over 530 people attending live from a range of professional backgrounds, reflecting the continued appetite for research evidence and practical insights that can improve care for people approaching the end of life.
Attendees first heard from Dr Swapnil Ghotane, a University of Cambridge Research Associate, who presented research exploring access to controlled drugs for end-of-life care in care homes. The presentation examined barriers to timely access to symptom-relieving medications, variations in practice and opportunities to improve care for residents nearing the end of life.
Next, Dr Andre Haubner of King's College London and Berlin shared evidence on the rapid relief of breathlessness using opioids and other medications. The session explored both pharmacological and non-pharmacological approaches to managing breathlessness, one of the most common and distressing symptoms experienced by people with advanced illness.
The final presentation was delivered by Sarah Thompson, Professional Clinical Lead for Specialist Palliative and End-of-Life Care at Hertfordshire Community NHS Trust and a former ARC EoE Fellow. Sarah shared experiences of using an anticipatory medication decision aid tool designed to support community nurses in managing just-in-case medications and navigating complex clinical decisions.
The presentations generated a high level of engagement from attendees, with numerous questions submitted throughout the webinar. The closing discussion provided an opportunity for speakers and participants to explore challenges, share experiences and consider how research findings can be translated into practice.
The webinar series is delivered through a partnership between the NIHR ARC East of England and the NIHR Palliative Care Incubator. Together, we continue to lead the successful National Palliative and End-of-Life Care webinar series, which brings together researchers, health and care professionals, and hospice colleagues to share current and emerging work in palliative and end-of-life care research. The Forum provides a space for researchers, practitioners, public contributors and partner organisations to connect, share learning and hear about future webinars and opportunities to get involved.