A GATHERING of world-renowned clinicians and workers in the field of palliative care for children with life-limiting conditions is taking place in Limerick this week.
And attendees at the conference at the Strand Hotel were told that it is critically important that doctors and carers take account of cultural differences and experiences for children and families to avoid unintended racism.
The 7th All Island Children’s Palliative Care Conference (CPCC), which takes place biannually, will focus on a theme of ‘Stronger Together: Fostering Resilience and Diversity in Children’s Palliative Care’, reflecting the growing need to support both the children who are receiving palliative care and the healthcare professionals who provide care every day.
Minister for Health Jennifer Carroll MacNeill, who addressed the conference, said that “working collaboratively, we can all ensure that every child with a life-limiting or life-threatening condition receives the appropriate care that respects their dignity and autonomy”.
“To achieve this, we must support the development of resilient healthcare services that recognise and respond to the diverse needs of patients, ensuring that timely access, their care and comfort is always at the core of our work.” added.
The conference will explore how to build resilience at every level of care, across all life-limiting conditions, while also addressing inequality and challenges to access care, and how they influence experience and outcomes. Delegates will explore practical ways to build more responsive, inclusive services for children with life-limiting conditions and their families.
Professor Jonathan Koffman, director of the Wolfson Palliative Care Research Centre at Hull York Medical School, will explore the issue of diversity through a focus on ethnic inequalities in palliative care and research.
His work highlights how factors such as culture, service design, and structural disadvantage can shape people’s experiences at end of life.
“We know that children and families from minority ethnic backgrounds often experience palliative care differently, and not always equitably. These differences are rarely intentional, but can arise from the way services are designed, how communication takes place, and how assumptions are made in clinical care. Addressing inadvertent racism requires us to look critically at our own practices and systems,” Professor Koffmann said.
The conference will also hear updates from both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland with presentations from Dr Feargal Twomey, Consultant in Palliative Medicine, Milford Hospice and HSE Mid West, Adjunct Clinical Associate Professor, UL School of Medicine, Clinical Lead, National Clinical Programme for Palliative Care, HSE/RCPI and Dr David Graham, Consultant Paediatrician, Northern Ireland Regional Paediatric Palliative Care Network.