The Worldwide Palliative Care Alliance (WHPCA) calls for applications from palliative care organisations and organisations comprised of people living with life-threatening illness, or organisations of older people, for up to $15,000 per project to increase the voice of direct stakeholders to advance palliative care. Applicants must be based in a Low or Middle Income country. Applications must be led either by hospice and palliative care organisations, organisations led by people living with life-threatening conditions based in and working in low and middle income countries, or registered older people’s organisations. More info can be found here

Strengthening the voice of direct palliative care stakeholders

The Worldwide Palliative Care Alliance (WHPCA) calls for applications from palliative care organisations and organisations comprised of people living …

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Being a pain nurse is action-packed and deserves our full respect. Seven experts shared their thoughts on what makes a pain nurse’s work important, interesting and admirable – and where they see potential improvements.

Ask the Experts: Pain Nurses in Europe

Being a pain nurse is action-packed and deserves our full respect. Seven experts shared their thoughts on what makes a pain nurse’s work importan…

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Please participate in the 2nd edition of the PAE Survey on chronic pain and work which Closes by 15th of April. If you are a pain patient, a member of a pain patient’s family or extended family, a carer or a friend, and you have specific information on how the quality of a patient life is affected when dealing with a chronic pain condition, please take 5 minutes to complete our Survey in your preferred language

Last chance: Respond to the PAE 2018 Survey on chronic pain …

Please participate in the 2nd edition of the PAE Survey on chronic pain and work which Closes by 15th of April. If you are a pain patient, a member of…

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2018 is the European Year for Excellence in Pain Education. To mark this event, the European Pain Federation EFIC® is launching the EFIC Education Platform, a new tool building on the Federation’s ongoing commitment to foster pain education in Europe. The EFIC Education Platform will feature the most comprehensive selection of lectures and presentations recorded at congresses and pain schools hosted by the European Pain Federation EFIC. Every week the platform will feature a selection of previously unavailable scientific and educational content as a learning resource. The first series of featured presentations is from EFIC Congress 2017 and includes: Stephen Ward - Guidelines for back pain in Europe - NICE and beyond Maurits van Tulder - Time for a New Low Back Pain Revolution? Frank Huygen - Interventional treatment for low back pain- Facet Joint Radiofrequency Bart Morlion - Evidence of pharmacological therapy of low back pain You can subscribe to the platform here and check in again every week for new content! Please visit the European Pain Federation EFIC website for a full list of our commitments and projects promoting excellence in pain education: link

The EFIC Education Platform: a new tool to promote Excellenc…

2018 is the European Year for Excellence in Pain Education. To mark this event, the European Pain Federation EFIC® is launching the EFIC Education Pla…

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Our Societal Impact of Pain (SIP) platform is one of only three topics selected for the prestigious Thematic Networks program in 2018! This fantastic recognition from the European Commission demonstrates the importance of our work to raise awareness about the impact of pain, share expertise and develop strategies to improve pain management.

Fantastic news: SIP selected as a Thematic Network 2018!

Our Societal Impact of Pain (SIP) platform is one of only three topics selected for the prestigious Thematic Networks program in 2018! This fantastic …

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Keen on sharing and gaining know-how and experience, the fourth Maltese trio paid the Department of Palliative Medicine of the University Hospital RWTH in Aachen a visit in the first week of March. Dr Jurgen Abela, a physician, Luisa Bugeja, a social worker and Radharani Agrawal, a physical therapist, all working for the Hospice Malta. In the past, other members of the Maltese Hospice such as chaplain, nurse and head of the Hospice have been to Aachen.  In 2016 the cooperation between the experts of palliative medicine from Aachen and Malta progressed from an initial contact between Tania Pastrana, MD (Postdoctoral Research Associate, Department of Palliative Medicine, University Hospital RWTH Aachen) and the internationally renowned Professor Max Watson (Professor at the University of Ulster, honorary and senior lecturer at Queens University in Belfast) from Ireland, to a corporate work exchange on a regular basis. On the Maltese side the Malta Hospice Movement was founded 4th January 1989 when the founding members assumed the role of the first management council formally signed the governing statute of the movement. Hospice Malta, a registered NGO with the Commissioner for Voluntary Organizations, offers all services free of charge to patients in Malta and Gozo. Hospice Malta offers its services in the community through a professional multidisciplinary team, with the assistance of a number of volunteers. This patient-centred palliative care offer targets the relief of pain and other physical symptoms, as well as caring for emotional, psychosocial, and spiritual issues. Bereavement support is also an integral part of the services provided. Additionally, education, advice and promotion of palliative care remain at the core of Hospice Malta’s services. The Hospice’s education unit provides educational sessions at both undergraduate and post-graduate levels in addition to providing in-service training to staff and volunteers to ensure that they have the necessary knowledge and skills. Currently the hospice is managed by Maria Gatt (chair), Kenneth Delia (general manager) and Anna Frendo (manager care services). Approximately 80 to 90 % of the cost of palliative care in Malta has to be covered by donations, fund-raising and charitable gifts; only 10 to 20 % are funded by the government. Close to 450 palliative patients are registered in Malta and Gozo at the same time. Currently, the Maltese Hospice can only take care of ambulant patients in Malta and Gozo. A residential institution is planned, because the demand for extensive palliative care in a comfortable surrounding for patients during their last days is growing. The focus of this experience exchange in Aachen was on the practical issues of palliative care. Therefore, the guests from Malta spent a day in the Iterbach Hospice in Walheim (Hospiz am Iterbach) and in the oldest German stationary hospice, Hospiz Haus Hörn in Aachen. With the help of Johannes Wüller, the medical director of the ambulant palliative care service in Aachen (Home Care Städteregion Aachen gemeinnützige GmbH), the ambulatory care of patients in their domestic environment could be followed by the Maltese delegation. They also attended stationary care of palliative patients and the counselling service of the Department of Palliative Medicine at the University Hospital Aachen. The University of Aachen established the first endowed chair for palliative medicine in Germany based upon regular donations of the Grünenthal Foundation for Palliative Medicine. Treatment and advising methods, a ward with nine palliative beds at Aachen University Hospital for incurable sick and dying patients were developed and established through the 5.9 million euros endowment capital of this foundation through a donation from the personal assets of the longstanding Grünenthal Inc. CEO Michael Wirtz. Every year over 200 people are helped there during the last and most painful phase of their lives. In 1998 Grünenthal founded this Grünenthal Foundation for Palliative Care. It is dedicated to the needs of people with incurable diseases and limited life-expectancies. The foundation promotes science and research in the field of palliative care in the form of a Chair of Palliative Medicine at the University of Aachen. It also supports the care of seriously ill or terminally ill people. The aim is to preserve the quality of life and the dignity of affected people at the end stage of their life. Professor Roman Rolke, Chair and Director of the Department of Palliative Medicine of the University Hospital Aachen, and his colleagues are looking forward to more Maltese guests as they cherish the professional exchange with the Maltese experts. For more information: https://hospicemalta.org https://www.hospiz-iterbach.dehttps://www.ukaachen.de/kliniken-institute/klinik-fuer-palliativmedizin.html http://www.haus-hoern.de  https://www.grunenthal.com Author: Karl-Heinz Oedekoven, Secretary of the GMMS Picture from left to right: Tania Pastrana MD, Jurgen Abela MD, Radharani Agrawal physical therapist, Jelena von der Maßen stud. cand. med., Heike Reineke-Bracke MD, Luisa  Bugeja social worker, Silvia Degen nurse, Cordula Irlenbusch nurse, Dorothe Pezechk-Engels nurse Copyright: ©German Maltese Medical Society, Malta

Staff members of a Maltese hospice foster experience exchang…

Keen on sharing and gaining know-how and experience, the fourth Maltese trio paid the Department of Palliative Medicine of the University Hospital RWT…

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The European Commission asked SIP to adapt the name of the Health Policy Platform group. The new name reflects the group’s function of being an environment for pain stakeholders to exchange, compare and benchmark evidence and best practice on pain management and its impact on society. In this regard, we are looking forward to your continued engagement and collaboration on the platform. The Health Policy Platform Group on Pain is now called ‘Social Impact of Pain Stakeholder Group’ If you haven’t registered to the Health Policy Platform yet, feel free to join here. Please find some guidance on how to register at this link. The Social Impact of Pain Stakeholder Group is a great opportunity to share your expertise and learn from other experts about current trends in pain management.

New name of ‘Social Impact of Pain Stakeholder Group’ on EU …

The European Commission asked SIP to adapt the name of the Health Policy Platform group. The new name reflects the group’s function of being an e…

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The European Commission has opened a public consultation on EU funds in the area of investment, research & innovation, SMEs and single market. More infos here

SIP position paper to include Pain in the EU FP9 program

The European Commission has opened a public consultation on EU funds in the area of investment, research & innovation, SMEs and single market. More …

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The results of an exploration of European Initiatives for stay at work with a chronical condition and job opportunities for (young) people with a chronic condition’, is now available. Input from the Brain Mind and Pain Group can be found on page 17 of the report.

Good examples of work and chronic conditions - Impressions f…

The results of an exploration of European Initiatives for stay at work with a chronical condition and job opportunities for (young) people with a chro…

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Many exciting activities related to Societal Impact of Pain (SIP) will take place in 2018. Building on our successes in Europe, we will focus on helping to establish activities at a national level this year.   Some countries have already started to identify key stakeholders representing the SIP partners who might initiate and drive national SIP platforms. Based on a common strategy, the international SIP partners will help them shaping up their national campaigns. The SIP platform will continue engagement both on the EU and national level, focusing on the following policy hooks: Pain as a healthcare indicator Pain as a chronic disease Pain education Pain jobs and social participation Pain accompanying other diseases Depending on existing coalitions, capacities and expertise, the national SIP platforms will be set up to define activities and initiatives which will take place in 2018. More Information here. Read the current updates on the achievements of the National SIP Platforms in 2018. We count on the support of our SIP Endorser to make the launch of the SIP national activities a great success!

What is the SIP Strategy in 2018?

Many exciting activities related to Societal Impact of Pain (SIP) will take place in 2018. Building on our successes in Europe, we will focus on helpi…

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