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Clinically Vulnerable Families 💙💜💗 @cvcev.bsky.social · 15d

"Something as simple as breathing in shared indoor spaces has become a barrier to accessibility and inclusion for millions of people, and it's time to change that!"

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Diana Teggi @dianateggi.bsky.social · 22d

🚨🚨🚨The CfP for the 2025 BSA #Death, #Dying and #Bereavement symposium is now open! This year's theme is #Care and #Caring, and the University of Nottingham is hosting us. Please submit your abstracts by Tuesday 30th September to [email protected]. We're looking forward to reading them!

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Prof Erica Borgstrom @ericaborgstrom.bsky.social · 23d

Are you interested in death, dying, loss, grief, and related topics, from historical studies to current issues? Then I'd recommend following @openthanatology.bsky.social and keeping an eye out for resources it shares.

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Des Fitzgerald @desfitzgerald.bsky.social · 26d

The relentless contempt, disgust, even hate that successive UK governments exhibit for the country's (hitherto) wildly successful HE sector remains one of the most baffling sub-plots of a generally insane age.

Research Professional News @resprofnews.bsky.social · 26d

Ministers ‘want to shift funds away from low-quality research’ .

Universities UK president says institutions cannot afford “unfunded hobbyist research”.

www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-u...

Ministers ‘want to shift funds away from low-quality research’ - Research Professional News

Universities UK president says institutions cannot afford “unfunded hobbyist research”

www.researchprofessionalnews.com

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Des Fitzgerald @desfitzgerald.bsky.social · 28d

I spoke to the Irish Times for this very good and rounded piece on the real-world effects of C***GPT in the humanities classroom: www.irishtimes.com/ireland/educ...

‘It’s a monster’: How generative AI is forcing university professors to rethink learning

As students turn to ChatGPT, educators warn that critical thinking, academic integrity and the future of the humanities are at stake

www.irishtimes.com

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Prof Erica Borgstrom @ericaborgstrom.bsky.social · Sep 3

Was asked today to comment on how professionals learn about palliative care, & was struck by how the tensions I wrote about a decade ago still resonate with current trainees. Like how to 'care' but 'not too much' and wanting to still 'fix' something in the face of death. Links to papers in comments

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Irene Tuffrey-Wijne @tuffrey-wijne.com · Sep 2

The new LeDeR report is now available. The 2023 annual report analyses the deaths of 3,556 people with a learning disability & autistic people who died in 2023. The work is part of efforts to reduce health inequalities.

Access here: kcl.ac.uk/research/leder

Learning from Lives and Deaths – people with a learning disability and autistic people (LeDeR)

The latest annual LeDeR report in collaboration with our academic partners on behalf of NHS England.

kcl.ac.uk

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Irene Tuffrey-Wijne @tuffrey-wijne.com · Sep 2

Easy read and accessible versions of the LeDeR 2023 report are available to ensure findings reach everyone. These materials make research accessible to people with a learning disability, their families, and carers.

Here is the video made by the Staying Alive and Well Group

youtu.be/qRUdWqz20jg

LeDeR 2023 REPORT

YouTube video by Staying Alive and Well

youtu.be

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Irene Tuffrey-Wijne @tuffrey-wijne.com · Sep 2

“It’s very important that people read this report”. Find it here: www.kcl.ac.uk/research/leder

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Irene Tuffrey-Wijne @tuffrey-wijne.com · Sep 1

Be one of the first to order. Launching today!

(UK only - other countries can still freely download and print at home)

Order link is in this short video. Please share!

youtu.be/VrntRIJCdXY?...

@andreabruun.bsky.social @mariecurieuk.bsky.social

FREE end of life care planning toolkit sent to your door

YouTube video by Victoria & Stuart Project

youtu.be

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Professor Ruth Penfold-Mounce @deathandculture.bsky.social · Aug 28

Do join us for a discussion about death hosted by Bethan Michael-Fox and me
www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/meet-up-gr...

Meet Up Group for Death and Culture Researchers

A group for anyone engaged in researching death and culture, hosted by the Death and Culture Network (DaCNet) at the University of York

www.eventbrite.co.uk

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John MacArtney @johnmacartney.bsky.social · Aug 28

Worth noting this is a *hybrid* conference - and one of the best I have attended online too.

Might just be a coincidence that a conference on dying and death is so practically attuned to the diversity, climate and airborne disease challenges facing academia 👀
#DDD17

ddd17-2025.bsky.social @ddd17-2025.bsky.social · Aug 27

DDD17 - The Politics of Death conference is officially on its way with nearly 400 participants from 41 countries.

Dr Kami Fletcher set the stage for an amazing conference with her keynote lecture on the power of African American mourning rituals.

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MarieCurieEOLC @mariecurieeolc.bsky.social · Aug 21

Improving hospital discharge is one of the Top 24 JLA priorities for palliative and end of life care research - mariecurie.org.uk/blog/researc...
It is also a key part of our recent Research Grants Scheme - www.mariecurie.org.uk/research-and...

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MarieCurieEOLC @mariecurieeolc.bsky.social · Aug 21

The government's 10 Year Health Plan for England highlights the need to shift care from hospital to community. Discharge from specialist palliative care in hospital to community services and primary care is a poorly understood transition. Yet it is a key part of the end of life experience for many.

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MarieCurieEOLC @mariecurieeolc.bsky.social · Aug 21

Dr Katharine Weetman, Marie Curie Associate Professor Dr John MacArtney and team have recently published findings on the challenges posing current discharge processes, identifying patient experiences and highlighting suggestions for healthcare professionals, summarised below.

John MacArtney @johnmacartney.bsky.social · Aug 20

Latest paper with Katherine Weetman et al. on improving specialist palliative care discharge:
bmcpalliatcare.biomedcentral.com/articles/10....

@nihr.bsky.social @warwickmed.bsky.social @mariecurieeolc.bsky.social @mariecurieuk.bsky.social @hospiceuk.bsky.social @nhscovwarksicb.bsky.social

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Abstract

Background: Patients who have received specialist intervention during periods of complex symptom and palliative care needs (e.g. pain crisis) may be discharged from specialist palliative care services to primary care. Despite such discharges being reasonably common, little is known about what happens during this process. We sought to explore
patient, carer and healthcare professional experiences, identifying ways to improve this crucial and time-sensitive part of the healthcare journey.

Methods: A qualitative interview study designed using an interpretive approach and reflexive thematic analysis methods. Sampling was purposive across six specialist palliative care sites (hospitals and hospices) and six general practices.

Results: A total of 38 participants took part in interviews:15 patients, 8 carers and 15 primary care professionals. Two overarching key themes were developed. The first described the multiple ways that ‘discharge’ was understood depending on the setting and circumstances of the patient. The second explored what was associated with better
or worse transitions to primary care. Discharge communications that were accurate and complete were described as effective whereby written information reinforced verbal instructions and acted as a reminder. Participant suggestions for improving these discharge communications included: incorporating the patient’s palliative care preferences (e.g. advanced directives); offering letters to patients and, where appropriate, carers; providing post-discharge follow-up
and contact details; ensuring medication instructions are accessible to patients and carers.

Conclusions: Current specialist palliative care discharge communications risk confusion, distress, and increased workload post-discharge. The study identified numerous suggestions professionals could take to improve this process.

Title: Improving specialist palliative care discharges from hospitals and hospices to community settings: a qualitative interview study of the communication experiences of patients, carers, and primary care professionals

Authors: Katharine Weetman, Catherine Grimley, Cara Bailey, Celia J. Bernstein, Jeremy Dale, Aprella Fitch, Sarah Mitchell, Rumandeep Tiwana & John I. MacArtney

Journal: BMC Palliative Care, volume 24, Article number: 214 (2025)

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John MacArtney @johnmacartney.bsky.social · Aug 20

Latest paper with Katherine Weetman et al. on improving specialist palliative care discharge:
bmcpalliatcare.biomedcentral.com/articles/10....

@nihr.bsky.social @warwickmed.bsky.social @mariecurieeolc.bsky.social @mariecurieuk.bsky.social @hospiceuk.bsky.social @nhscovwarksicb.bsky.social

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John MacArtney @johnmacartney.bsky.social · Aug 20

As well as sharing our insights into this under researched, but increasingly occurring process in palliative care, we identified four key principles to improve discharge communication from specialist palliative care.
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1.Letter content specific to specialist palliative care: Letters should include standard information such as diagnosis in addition to palliative care information such as advanced directives, ReSPECT form information, and preferred place of care and death.
2.Letters to patients and carers: Patients should receive and/or be offered their letters in line with existing good practice guidance. Patients should be asked if they would like the discharge letter to be shared with a carers, close person or family member.
3.Follow-up after discharge: The letter/information must make it clear
who is responsible for follow-up and the point of contact post-discharge including a telephone number for queries.
4.Medication information and instructions for patients and carers: A
checklist of medications or equivalent is useful, to include (changes to)
medications, doses and timings. Patients and carers must be familiarised with routes of administration before discharge.

John MacArtney @johnmacartney.bsky.social · Aug 20

Therefore a good discharge was not simply associated with the efficient movement of a patient from one location to another. And people's descriptions of poor discharge reflected the discontinuities between the multiple aspects of their experience.
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John MacArtney @johnmacartney.bsky.social · Aug 20

We found a range of understandings for what "discharge" is for people in specialist palliative care. It had different meanings, a range of processes associated with it, and multiple timelines involved including the physical, the emotional, and the administrative.
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John MacArtney @johnmacartney.bsky.social · Aug 20

This work is one of the first to address a new priority for the @jameslindalliance.bsky.social palliative and end of life care research: How can discharge from hospital be
improved for people with any serious life-limiting illness?
palliativecarepsp.wordpress.com
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Priority 20: How can discharge from hospital be improved for people with any serious life-limiting illness?

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John MacArtney @johnmacartney.bsky.social · Aug 20

Latest paper with Katherine Weetman et al. on improving specialist palliative care discharge:
bmcpalliatcare.biomedcentral.com/articles/10....

@nihr.bsky.social @warwickmed.bsky.social @mariecurieeolc.bsky.social @mariecurieuk.bsky.social @hospiceuk.bsky.social @nhscovwarksicb.bsky.social

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Christophe Veltsos @drinfosec.bsky.social · Aug 19

🎯🎯🎯 article on #Covid's impact on the immune system, written by @nicktsergas.ca in TheBMJ:

Why scientists are rethinking the immune effects of SARS-CoV-2 | The BMJ (Aug 19, 2025)
www.bmj.com/content/390/...

Why scientists are rethinking the immune effects of SARS-CoV-2

“Immunity debt,” a theory to explain the global surge in non-covid infections since pandemic restrictions were lifted, is increasingly being challenged by emerging evidence. Nick Tsergas reports Myco...

www.bmj.com

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Kelly @broadwaybabyto.bsky.social · Aug 13

The CSA is pushing for mandatory respirators in healthcare settings, something which should have happened years ago.

Covid changed the game, and we must adapt.

Once upon a time handwashing wasn’t standard in hospitals.

Gloves weren’t standard until the HIV/AIDS pandemic. 🧵

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Dr. Lucky Tran @luckytran.com · Aug 12

This is what the audience for a Long COVID conference looked like today. Notice anything? 😷

Audience for a Long COVID conference all wearing masks

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Kelly @broadwaybabyto.bsky.social · Aug 11

If you’re still wearing a mask, thank you

Thank you for standing in solidarity with disabled & high risk people

Thank you for practicing community care

Thank you for following the science & seeing the value in breaking chains of transmission

Thank you protecting your health

Thank you.

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