Creating systemic change in mental health and palliative care

About this event

• Date and timeWed 25 Nov 2026 from 9:00am to 5:30pm
• LocationRoyal Society of Medicine
• Organised byPalliative Care

Join the Royal Society of Medicine (RSM) Palliative Care Section for this in-person event exploring how systemic change at personal, organisational and societal levels can improve outcomes for people living with complex mental health conditions alongside life-limiting illness.

Despite growing awareness, significant gaps remain in how services recognise, include and respond to individuals with both palliative and mental health needs. There is an urgent need to move beyond identifying inequalities and focus on practical, scalable solutions that can be applied across systems. This one-day event will bring together perspectives from across healthcare, research and policy, alongside those with lived experience, to support practical learning and demonstrate how individuals, teams and systems can work differently to address exclusion, fragmentation and inequity.

Why attend?

• Hear from leaders in clinical practice, research and policy and those with lived experience as they discuss innovative approaches, such as relational prescribing, trauma-informed care and inclusive research practices
• Gain a structured framework for understanding and addressing change across personal, organisational and societal levels – applicable directly to your own practice and organisation
• Explore emerging evidence and real-world examples of how individuals, teams and systems are working differently to address exclusion, fragmentation and inequity in the care of people with complex mental health and palliative needs
• Take part in interactive workshops and panel discussions offering dedicated space for reflection, discussion and shared problem-solving with colleagues from across healthcare, research and policy
• Join the only UK forum of its kind bringing together mental health and palliative care practitioners to learn from each other, share experience and build connections across sectors and disciplines.

Aims of the event

This event aims to:

• Provide an interdisciplinary forum where healthcare professionals can explore approaches that support change at personal, organisational and societal levels when caring for people with complex mental health conditions and palliative care needs
• To examine strategies for addressing inequality, exclusion and fragmentation across personal, organisational and societal levels in healthcare delivery and research
• To support participants in developing practical approaches to service improvement that can be applied within their own organisations and practice settings
• Offer opportunities for discussion, reflection and knowledge exchange with like-minded individuals from a range of sectors

Learning outcomes

By attending this event, participants will be able to:

• Analyse how systemic factors influence care for people with complex mental health conditions and palliative care needs across personal, organisational and societal levels
• Apply relational and trauma-informed strategies that address inequality, discrimination and exclusion in healthcare delivery and research
• Implement practical approaches to drive service improvement and enhance the quality, accessibility and effectiveness of care within their own practice settings
• Develop practical approaches to service improvement and apply these within their own organisational context

Who should attend?

This event is relevant to:

• All health and social care professionals working across:
  • Palliative care
  • Mental health
  • Primary and community care
  • Integrated care systems

Including:

• Nurses
• Pharmacists
• Psychologists
• Social workers
• Researchers
• Service leads working with complex mental health conditions and life-limiting illnesses
• People with lived experience
• Pharmacy technicians
• Paramedics

Prizes

Palliative Care and Mental Health: Annual abstract prize

The deadline for this prize is Wednesday 30 September 2026 at 11:59pm. Apply here.

Palliative Care Section: George Adams prize

The deadline for this prize is Wednesday 30 September 2026 at 11:59pm. Apply here.