Research project - PROMISE

Palliative Care Trajectories of People with Multiple Long-Term Conditions

Palliative care delivers physical, emotional, social and practical support. But despite it being a human right, many people who need palliative care do not receive it.

Nowadays, most people live with and die from multiple long-term conditions (MLTC), a combination of diseases for which there is no cure (diabetes, lung disease, depression etc). Being old or frail, living in poverty or being from an ethnic minority increase your chance of having multiple long-term conditions.

These factors also make it less likely that someone will receive palliative care.

Dr Felicity Dewhurst, Consultant in Palliative Medicine at St Oswald’s Hospice in partnership with Newcastle University, is delivering research to find better ways to provide palliative care for people with MLTC, which could help reduce inequalities and improve end of life experiences.

The research is being funded by NIHR as part of Felicity’s Advanced Fellowship in Palliative Care Research.