The Minister for Health, Stephen Donnelly TD has established a steering group to develop a new palliative care policy for adults. The group will be chaired by Professor Karen Ryan, a Consultant in palliative care medicine at the Mater Hospital and St. Francis Hospice and Clinical Professor at University College Dublin.
The Steering Group is comprised of 16 members (in addition to the Chair), consisting of health professionals, patient representatives, representatives of voluntary organisations, senior HSE management and senior departmental officials. In addition, Dr. Bridget Johnston,Trinity College Dublin, will be assisting with the drafting and research for the policy.
Minister Donnelly said: “The 2001 policy was in many ways ahead of its time with its vision for universal access to palliative care and the spirit of collaboration between statutory and voluntary services in providing services. However, there are still areas which need to be improved and changes in both Irish society and healthcare over the past 20 years which the new policy will need to reflect.
“I’d like to thank the Chair of the Steering Group, Professor Karen Ryan, and all members of the steering group who have agreed to be involved in such an important piece of work. The extensive knowledge and expertise that Professor Ryan has in the area of palliative care will provide invaluable guidance and leadership for the steering group.”
The inaugural meeting of the steering group took place on Thursday 26 May 2022 at the Department of Health. The new policy will take into account the significant developments and relevant research since the development of the previous policy, the 2001 report of the National Advisory Committee on Palliative Care. The new policy is expected to be published in early 2023.