New research partnership with Lancaster University
Sue Ryder has announced a new partnership with Lancaster University, reinforcing our commitment to ensuring no one faces death or grief alone.
Dr. Maddy French will be based in the University’s Division of Health Research, while working closely with Sue Ryder
Dr Maddy French has taken up a new post as Senior Research Fellow, in a joint role between Sue Ryder and Lancaster University’s International Observatory on End-of-Life Care – a globally recognised centre for palliative care research.
This three-year collaboration will help shine a light on the changes needed to improve end-of-life care and bereavement support – both in the UK and internationally. The work will directly support Sue Ryder’s ambition to reach more people with personalised, compassionate care and build a stronger evidence base for palliative and bereavement services.
Dr French will be based in the University’s Division of Health Research, while working closely with Sue Ryder’s teams to help drive forward research that improves care for people at the end of life, and for those who are grieving.
Dr French, who previously worked as a Lecturer in Palliative Care at Lancaster University, said: “I’m very excited to begin this new role working on research with Sue Ryder. It is a really interesting time to be in palliative care research. There is lots of work to be done to improve services, making sure they are accessible and meeting the needs of everyone, no matter their background or circumstances. My previous research at Lancaster University has looked at the equity of access to hospice and other palliative care services.”
Working with Sue Ryder is an opportunity to expand and develop this area, and I’m looking forward to getting started.
Professor Nancy Preston, Co-Director of the International Observatory on End-of-Life Care, said: “The International Observatory on End-of-Life Care is committed to ensuring research is done in partnership with those who deliver services and those who can benefit from them. We are currently involved in a number of national and international research projects, including on improving transitions in care for patients with cancer, trialling palliative care interventions for people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder (COPD), and developing partnership and capacity for research in the UK palliative care sector.”
Our partnership with Sue Ryder is an opportunity to work closely with a leading provider of palliative and end-of-life care to develop research projects that can have a substantial impact on staff, patients and families.
Dr Paul Perkins, Chief Medical Director at Sue Ryder, said: “At Sue Ryder we care for people with life threatening and terminal illnesses in their own homes and within our seven hospices. Additionally, we support thousands more through our grief support. As one of the biggest providers of palliative and end-of-life care in the UK, we have a network of expertise that can help further the understanding of what good palliative care and grief support are and how to reach more people who need it.
By creating this new role, we will be able to take that to a new level and embed evidence-based research to improve the care and support we provide, but also to improve how this care is delivered by all providers.
“It is an exciting new step for Sue Ryder, but also a vital one. Around 90 per cent of people who die need palliative care, but this area of healthcare research is underfunded. We feel a responsibility to do our bit to change this and look forward to working with Lancaster University – an internationally renowned leader in palliative care research – on studies that makes sure no one faces death or grief alone.”