Murray Scott A

I lead the first Primary Palliative Care Research Group based in an academic department of family medicine. This group has undertaken a wide range of high impact research studies focusing primarily on the experiences of people with advanced illnesses, their family and professional carers, alongside studies of health service developments relevant to palliative care. I helped develop a validated tool to improve how we identify people with deteriorating health who are at risk of dying so that they and their families can be offered an holistic review of their needs and care planning. The Supportive and Palliative Care Indicators Tool is freely available to download from our website in several languages. I also chair the International Primary Palliative Care Network which seeks to encourage research and advocacy for a palliative care approach to be adopted internationally in primary care. I recently led a EAPC Taskforce to produce a Toolkit for national palliative care development in the community, now translated to French and German. I have wide experience of research and evaluation in many African countries. I serve on a WHO Committee to inform the development of integrated palliative care in all settings in both rich and resource poor countries. My vision is that good palliative care should be available to everyone everywhere by generalists supported by specialists. I advocate for a new public health – a health promoting approach in palliative care whereby individuals and communities are encouraged to call on their own individual and community resources and assets so that people can live and then die as well as possible.