King's College London - World first in palliative care

The Prime Minister last week presided over the opening of the first academic institute in the world to focus specifically on palliative care research and teaching. The Cicely Saunders Institute of Palliative Care at King's College London will provide undergraduate, masters and postgraduate teaching in palliative care for students and healthcare professionals from around the world. Irene Higginson, head of the department of palliative care, policy and rehabilitation at King's, said: "As the population lives longer, due to reductions in acute disease, many more people will need palliative care and support to help them live as well as possible until they die. To improve this situation, research is urgently needed."