The Unit’s research focuses on the experiences of living and caring for people with life-limiting conditions in the community. Our work moves between primary and specialist palliative care and uses quantitative and qualitative methodologies to explore the clinical and social issues of dying. We collaborate closely with Marie Curie Hospice in Solihull, local ICSs, and hospital trusts. We are also a co-founding unit for BRHUmB; Building a Research Hub for Palliative Care in Birmingham and the West MidlandsLink opens in a new window – an initiative that links us to palliative care researchers across the region.

Current projects:

• Improving patients, carers, and primary care healthcare professionals' experiences of discharge communication from specialist palliative care to community settings: a qualitative interview studyLink opens in a new window
• The role and response of primary healthcare services in the delivery of palliative care during COVID-19: A mixed methods investigation and co-production of a framework for primary palliative care in pandemicsLink opens in a new window
• Examining the Experiences of Chinese Caregivers Caring for Chinese People at End of Life in Community Settings in EnglandLink opens in a new window
• ‘Exploring how understanding contexts, people or needs as 'complex' is creating inequities in practices and experiences of a good death in palliative care’ - WIF Studentship, collaboration with Marie Curie - 1.1.23 to 31.5.26

Recently completed research includes:

• Discharge from Hospices Study Link opens in a new window- Communication of palliative needs in discharge letters from specialist to primary palliative care: A multisite sequential explanatory mixed methods study

• Accessing bereavement support: A secondary analysis of UK Bereavement Commission evidenceLink opens in a new window

• ICOH - The impact and implications of Covid-19 on the relational, social, and healthcare experiences of hospice care in the West MidlandsLink opens in a new window
• Longitudinal Study of the effects of rapid change on staff work and wellbeing during the coronavirus pandemic at Marie Curie West Midlands hospice (Evaluation study)Link opens in a new window
• ACCESSA Link opens in a new window- Understanding access to palliative care by ethnic minority groups in the UK: with a focus on South Asian communities in the Midlands and Leeds Bradford
• A secondary analysis of a multisite staff survey exploring the effects of rapid change on hospice staff work and well-being during the coronavirus pandemicLink opens in a new window
• The Role of the Men's Shed in a hospice day service context: Identifying features of a successful group and developing recommendations to expand the serviceLink opens in a new window
• REasons for PalLIative Care Admissions (REPLICA)Link opens in a new window
• INeed-QLLink opens in a new window
• Care CompanionLink opens in a new window – an online platform to support the resilience and well-being of family carers.
• What makes palliative care needs "Complex"?Link opens in a new window: a multisite sequential explanatory mixed methods study of patients referred to specialist palliative care (Evaluation study)
• CHAT-PLink opens in a new window – online intervention to empower men with prostate cancer to identify and express health and other needs.
• CHAT-BLink opens in a new window - developing an online holistic needs assessment for patients with bladder cancer.

• Evaluation of Macmillan's Cancer Training for Practice NursesLink opens in a new window
• BladderPathLink opens in a new window: Image Directed Redesign of Bladder Cancer Treatment Pathway: A Qualitative Sub Study
• The Journey through Care: Palliative Care for children and young people, and their families: What? When? How? A Realist InquiryLink opens in a new window

To learn more about this research theme contact the research theme lead,

Dr John MacArtney

John dot MacArtney at warwick dot ac dot uk