Professor of Palliative Medicine
University of Liverpool
Liverpool, England

E-mail: j.e.ellershaw@liverpool.ac.uk

Prof. John Ellershaw was appointed Medical Director at the Marie Curie Hospice Liverpool and Clinical Director at the Directorate of Palliative Care at the Royal Liverpool University Hospital in 1994. He has contributed to the development of specialist palliative care services in Liverpool. He has led the development of palliative care education at undergraduate and postgraduate level within the University of Liverpool and has been involved in the development of the research and development programmes. In June 2005 he became Honorary Professor of Palliative Medicine at the University of Liverpool. This is the first Chair in Palliative Medicine at the University of Liverpool and provides a focal point for future educational and research developments; the main research theme is care of the dying.

Other Appointments

• International Associate Faculty and Mentor, International Palliative Care Leadership Development Initiative, The Institute for Palliative Medicine at San Diego Hospice, San Diego, California, USA, 2012-13
• National Deputy Clinical Director for End of Life Care, Department of Health, England, 2010-present
• Visiting Professor in Palliative Medicine, Sal Salvador University, Buenos Aires, 2007-present
• Director, Marie Curie Palliative Care Institute, Liverpool, 2004-present
• National Clinical Lead, Liverpool Care Pathway for the Dying (LCP) Programme, present

Key Accomplishments

• The LCP Programme has developed within the National Cancer Services Collaborative, then within The National End of Life Programme, and more recently has been highlighted as best practice for Care of the Dying in the End of Life Strategy for England. A key part of this programme is the National Audit for Care of the Dying in hospitals which is now in its third round and includes over 120 hospitals. There are 20 countries from around the world engaged in the programme.
• Lead, Initiative to Improve End of Life Care in Acute Hospitals in England

Education / Honors

• Honorary PhD, Edge Hill University, 2011
  FRCP (UK), 1999
  Full Accreditation in Palliative Medicine, 1994
  MA (Wales), 1992
  MB BCh, Welsh National School of Medicine Cardiff, 1984

Key Publications
Journal articles

• Ellershaw JE (2007) Editorial – Care of the dying: what a difference an LCP makes! Palliative Medicine 21:365-386
• Larkin, P.J., Sykes, N.P., Centeno, C., Ellershaw JE, Elsner, F., Eugene, B., Gootjes, J.R.G., Nabal, M., Noguera, A., Ripamonti, C., Zucco, F., Zuurmond, W.W.A. (2008) The management of constipation in palliative care: Clinical practice recommendations Palliative Medicine, 22 (7), pp. 796-807
• Gambles M, McGlinchey T, Aldridge J, Murphy D, Ellershaw JE (2009) Continuous quality improvement in care of the dying with the Liverpool Care Pathway for the Dying Patient. International Journal of Care Pathways; 13: pp. 51-56
• Douglas, C., Murtagh, F.E.M. Chambers, E.J., Howse, M., Ellershaw JE (2009) Symptom management for the adult patient dying with advanced chronic kidney disease: A review of the literature and development of evidence-based guidelines by a United Kingdom Expert Consensus Group Palliative Medicine, 23 (2), pp. 103-110
• Jack, B.A., Littlewood, C., Eve, A., Murphy, D., Khatri, A., Ellershaw JE (2009) Reflecting the scope and work of palliative care teams today: An action research project to modernise a national minimum data set, Palliative Medicine, 23 (1), pp. 80-86
• Mason SR & Ellershaw JE (2010) Undergraduate training in palliative medicine: Is more necessarily better? Palliative Medicine 24 (3), pp. 306-309
• Ellershaw, J., Dewar, S. & Murphy, D. (2010) ‘Achieving a good death for all’ British Medical Journal. 341 (7774) pp. 656-658

Key Presentations

• JE Ellershaw. ‘From Pathways to Paradigms’ Challenges in Clinical Practice – ‘Diagnosing Dying.’ Keynote speaker, 9th Asia Pacific Hospice Conference, Penang, Malaysia, July 14-17, 2011
• JE Ellershaw. ‘The Liverpool Care Pathway for the Dying Patient.’ Congress ‘Zorgpaden’ (Care Pathways), University Medical Center, Utrecht, Netherlands, January 29, 2010

Resources

• Marie Cure Palliative Care Institute Liverpool
• The Liverpool Care Pathway for the Dying Patient