After Cicely 50

From its origins at St Christopher’s Hospice in London, the practice of palliative care has evolved to be one of the UK’s best exports, having inspired a worldwide movement that focuses on quality of care for the dying that is ever more relevant today, as demand for end-of-life care is on the rise. The late British Physician Cicely Saunders’ concept of “total pain” which explores the physical, psychological, social, emotional and spiritual elements of suffering, has changed the way healthcare professionals and caregivers approach end-of-life care. Under Saunders and her team, the UK has consistently paved the way in developing palliative care standards, topping the list of 80 countries at the 2015 Quality of Death Index owing to its advanced hospice care network and history of state involvement in end-of-life care.