Learn with us
Healthcare
professionals
Healthcare professionals
Introduction
It is important that society has a better understanding of caring, death and dying.
It is important that we, at Harlington Hospice and Michael Sobell House continue to learn and adapt how we provide care from both a medical and non-medicalised perspective.
How to learn with us
Video Learning
We have published a number of videos from members of our team, our conferences and contributions from guest speakers.Â
E-Learning
We have developed and provide an eLearning platform for the general public, carers and professionals living and working in Hillingdon called HPal.
HPal contains contains a wealth of information for people living across London. It includes advice as to how you can manage certain conditions.
Educational interventions
We offer a range of educational interventions. Some of these are designed specifically for healthcare professionals, like our Palliative Bites lectures. Other resources are designed with our community in mind, like the innovative HPAL website, our 24/7 Advice & Support line, or our CABS Parent Supports Groups.
Everything we offer is focused on promoting and expanding our community’s understanding of, and access to, palliative care.Â
Support groups
If you or someone you care about has been diagnosed with a life-limiting or incurable illness we can provide support and education as part of our wellbeing service. We also provide support and education to both children and adults who require bereavement support.
Educational resources
We develop educational resources for both our local community and the wider general public. These include printed resources, educational videos, academic papers, frameworks and animations.Â
Summer Conference
Our annual, summer conference takes place within Michael Sobell House. It aids the professional development of those providing care and supporting residents and their loved ones across Hillingdon
Learn whilst on a training placementÂ
Our ‘on the job’ training placements are provided for for healthcare students and professionals. These help benefit both professional development and the communities they provide care for.
Weekly updates
Each week we share an internal email between colleagues. It includes patient feedback and the positive impact that our care is providing. When areas can be improved, they are included for both reflection and internal learning.
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Dr Ros Taylor MBE the Clinical Director at the Michael Sobell House
Carol Weston the Matron of Michael Sobell House
Harlington Hospice’s summer conference at Michael Sobell House in 2025
Guest speakers & collaboration
Guest speakers
We welcome thought leadership into our hospice to help improve and enhance our care. We invite guest speakers to share their experience with us, in return we often share our own experiences with others.
CollaborationÂ
We collaborate in different and share learnings in different ways. ‘The Lancet Commission on the Value of Death: bringing death back into life’ is an example of this. This important national study explorared of how death and dying is changing. It provides recommendations as to how care providers and society needs to adapt to these changing needs. Our medical director Dr Ros Taylor MBE was one of the key contributors.Â
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Kathryn Mannix discussed Conversations & Stories at the end of life.
Learn with us
There are a number of ways in which you can learn with us.
Personal development
There are a number of ways in which our trained professionals can help you to learn about your inner-self.
Counselling
Patient and Family Support
Wellbeing education and resources
Our hospice wellbeing team helps residents come to terms with an diagnosis and manage their condition. We also support the bereaved following the loss of someone they care about. We develop resources to help educate and empower local residents, health, care and bereavement professionals.
An online ‘Wellbeing Hub’ is available for all residents within Hillingdon. An overview video and the ‘Whirlpool of Grief’ educational resource can be watched below.
The Whirlpool of Grief theory imagines life as a boat floating along a river. When a loved one dies it throws the boat into a whirlpool with the most painful and confusing emotions being compared to a waterfall.
A leading voice
Since we opened our doors to patients on Valentine’s Day, 1977 we have been a leading voice within the hospice movement, palliative care and end of life care.Â
Our hospice was started by Mary Hopkins MBE and Reg Hopkins in recognition of the lack of hospice and end of life care available to people in the local community. Our Clinical and non-clinical teams are instrumental in furthering knowledge about palliative care, end of life care and bereavement.
We are an accredited member of Hospice UK’s Project ECHO. Project ECHO enables the sharing of ideas and areas of best practice within online video presentations and resources. Our Poject ECHO works includes collaborating with and supporting London Ambulance Service paramedics. To view an academic poster for this work click here
Our Medical Director, Dr Ros Taylor MBE, and Senior Nurse, Jo Fernandes, regularly share their knowledge and expertise with other hospices and healthcare professionals. Dr Ros Taylor MBE also worked as a Commissioner on the Lancet Commission on the Value of Death, setting out a new vision of death and dying and the principles to achieve it.
Our Child & Adolescent Bereavement Service (CABS) Team have undertaken extensive research into Neurodiversity and Grief. Working with therapists across the country, they have identified current barriers and challenges and provide psychoeducation to schools, social services, and other professionals working with young people. This is an ongoing and developing project.
We are a key member of many of the collaborative healthcare boards that exist in Hillingdon and North West London.Â
International Education
Internationally we worked closely with Crown Princess Katherine of Serbia to establish the first palliative care center in Serbia. With Dr Elaine Laycock, one of our first doctors at Michael Sobell House (formerly Michael Sobell Hospice), and other members of our clinical team, visiting Serbia on several occasions to help train the first palliative care medical team in the country.
We have been invited to share our work and the impact it has made at a number of international conferences. These include the European Association of Palliative Care World Congress and the Swedish National Conference for Palliative Care.
Crown Princess Katherine of Serbia and Dr Elaine Laycock one of Michael Sobell Hospice’s first doctors.
Award winning research and posters
We have won awards and accolades for our innovation, research and published posters. Some of these are shown below
Neurodivergent grief: working together to support pre and post bereaved children and young people
The Room Where It Happens – Top 10 poster at the European Association of Palliative Care World Congress
Royal Society of Medicine – Palliative Care and Mental Health Award
We were runners up in this RSM’s award and presented our work and it’s impact at the Royal Society of Medicine.
Pubilc and professional development
How can we help
If you are living alongside a serious or terminal illness in the London Borough of Hillingdon and surrounding areas, we could be here for you.
We take great care to get to know everyone who comes to us and work with each person to set their own goals for how to live well. Throughout this journey we’re also beside each person’s family and friends. And we’re here for anyone in our community going through bereavement.
