I am an Associate Professor of Palliative Medicine at University College London. I will research systems and frameworks for fair access to good palliative care when people are living with severe and enduring mental illness and facing challenges associated with life-threatening physical illness.

As a practising doctor as well as a researcher, my concern for people living with severe and enduring mental illness initially arose from my clinical experiences of challenges when trying to meet the palliative care needs of this group. I am travelling to North America (the USA and Canada) and Australia to learn from places that are engaged in innovative ways to practice healthcare, transform systems using relationship-centred approaches and design evaluations that capture what matters most to people in need.

I hope to apply my Fellowship learning by working with people throughout UK palliative care systems, including policymakers, charities and the NHS. I will share examples of best practice and a framework for reframing choice and risk, thinking about whole system effectiveness not just as what is safe but also what is good.