Palliative Care SIG

Society for Acute Medicine Palliative Care Special Interest Group (SIG): Terms of Reference

 

Introduction

The Palliative Care SIG is a subcommittee of the Society for Acute Medicine (SAM) Council, established to on behalf of the Society. This committee reports to the Council via the President.

 

Purpose and objectives

The Palliative Care SIG is responsible for:

  • Promoting excellence in palliative care provided by Acute Medicine professionals
  • Promoting and sharing education and training resources relevant to palliative and end of life care in acute settings via SAM communication channels.
  • Promoting research in palliative and end of life care in Acute Medicine, in collaboration with SAM’s Research Committee
  • Promoting and sharing good practice in palliative and end of life care across the UK.
  • Building relationships with professional societies and third sector organisations to influence palliative and end of life care in acute settings.
  • Urgent updates to SAM Council when necessary.

 

Administration of meetings

  • The committee should meet at least 3 times each year usually but not exclusively online
  • The committee will abide by the sustainability guidance as set out by the EcoSAM group
  • Communication outside of meetings will be held by electronic communication whenever possible
  • The agenda is to be issued at least two weeks prior to the arranged meeting
  • Points to be discussed should be communicated to the Chair in advance of this
  • Minutes of the meeting should be available within 4 weeks of the meeting.

 

As part of the constitution we can co-opt experts and lay representative to offer insight and expertise.

 

Constitution

The Palliative Care SIG shall consist of:

  • Chair
  • SAM President
  • Nursing Representative
  • Allied health professional representative
  • Any member of SAM may join this group
  • Due to the need for insights from palliative care experts and people with lived experience of end of life care in acute settings the SIG can co-opt experts and lay representatives to offer insight and expertise to the group

 

* The Chair of the SIG will be the Ordinary Consultant member, It is not a position on SAM Council. The Chair will normally have a three year tenure on the SIG, and then undergo a re-selection process which is open to others, but may include a second term of three years.

 

Feedback to Council will usually, but not exclusively, be done by the President.

SAM Palliative Care SIG Lead

Ashling Lillis

Ashling is a Consultant in Acute Medicine and clinical lead for Ambulatory Care at Whittington Health NHS Trust in North London. She joined Macmillan Cancer Support in 2016 as an NHS National Medical Director’s Fellow. She continues to work with Macmillan as a National Clinical Advisor focusing on the experience of acutely unwell cancer patients and the importance of generalist expertise within the cancer workforce.  She trained in both acute medicine and critical care in the east end of London which brought a strong focus on health inequalities to her practice. She is a cheerleader for honest conversations in medicine and can often be found loudly correcting her resident doctors when they use euphemisms for death and dying.

Ashling Lillis Picture