The UK’shttps://careledger.co.uk first dedicated Hospice and Palliative Care Academy has been launched in the North West, marking a major step forward in developing and sustaining the future workforce for end-of-life care.
The Hospice and Palliative Care Academy has been created through the Lancashire and South Cumbria Hospices Together (LSCHT) partnership, bringing together the University of Lancashire, the University of Cumbria and ten regional hospices. The Academy will serve as a central hub for learning, skills development and career progression across both clinical and non-clinical roles in hospice and palliative care.
Designed to address growing workforce pressures, the Academy aims to build a future-ready workforce equipped to meet the evolving needs of patients, families and communities. In 2024–25 alone, hospices across Lancashire and Cumbria supported more than 15,000 people and employed around 1,300 staff. With demand for hospice and palliative care continuing to rise nationally, recruitment and retention remain significant challenges for the sector.
Through its university partners, the Academy will offer a broad range of work-ready programmes and qualifications. These will span clinical disciplines such as palliative care and medicines management, alongside non-clinical areas including leadership, event management and fundraising. Courses will make full use of existing hospice expertise, continuing professional development (CPD) frameworks and apprenticeship levy funding, with additional learning opportunities and workshops currently in development.
The Academy will also support research activity, helping to inform best practice, drive innovation and strengthen the evidence base for hospice and palliative care within communities.
Gillian Oakley, Senior Lecturer in Palliative Care and University of Lancashire lead for the initiative, said the Academy directly responds to longstanding workforce challenges within the sector.
“Workforce shortages and the lack of clearly defined career pathways have made it difficult to attract and retain hospice staff,” she said. “Through the Academy, we are tackling this head-on by creating clear educational pathways from Level 3 through to Level 8. Our ‘working academy’ model ensures training is shaped by the real skills and needs of the palliative care sector.”
The LSCHT collaboration was formed in 2023, uniting ten hospices across Lancashire and South Cumbria to work collectively on education, research and care quality. The Academy represents a strategic expansion of that collaboration, strengthening workforce capability across both clinical and non-clinical roles.
Kate Burgess, Strategic Education and Research Lead for LSCHT, said the Academy is focused on long-term sustainability for hospices and their staff.
“This is about creating meaningful opportunities for our workforce and our students,” she said. “We are building a shared future where people can develop their skills and continue their careers within hospice care. Our priorities include making better use of the apprenticeship levy, delivering tailored education programmes and expanding palliative and end-of-life care training across the wider health and social care system.”
The initiative has also been welcomed at a national level. Anita Hayes, Clinical Quality Lead at Hospice UK, described the Academy as a vital step in future-proofing the hospice workforce.
“It offers tailored career development opportunities and aligns closely with the NHS England career pathway, core capabilities and education framework for palliative and end-of-life care,” she said. “This collaborative model supports shared learning, sets high standards and ultimately helps ensure patients and families receive the best possible care now and in the future.”
The ten hospices involved in the Lancashire and South Cumbria Hospices Together partnership are:
- St John’s Hospice (Lancaster & South Lakes)
- St Mary’s Hospice (South Lakes)
- Pendleside Hospice (Burnley & Pendle)
- Trinity Hospice (Blackpool & Fylde Coast)
- Brian House Children’s Hospice (Blackpool)
- Derian House Children’s Hospice (Chorley / North West region)
- Queenscourt Hospice (West Lancashire, Southport and Formby)
- St Catherine’s Hospice (Preston, South Ribble & Chorley)
- Rossendale Hospice (Rossendale)
- East Lancashire Hospice (Blackburn, Hyndburn & Ribble Valley)
