Centre of Excellence
Research and education are the backbone of Kentown Support, and we are proud to be funding a new Centre of Excellence at the Cicely Saunders Institute at King’s College London.
The new Centre, run by Professor Lorna Fraser, will undertake and disseminate high quality research and provide evidenced-based education and training for health and social care professionals as well as for family members caring for children and young people with life-limiting conditions. It aims to provide capacity building in a neglected field and set the standard globally for high quality research, education and care.
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Lorna Fraser is Professor of Palliative Care and Child Health at King’s College London and an NIHR Research Professor. Her background is in clinical paediatrics and her research focuses on children and young people. She has a portfolio of funding from the major funders, including three NIHR fellowships. Her team, based at the Cicely Saunders Institute undertake research on the care and support of children and young people with life-limiting conditions, their families and the workforce that care for them.
Her main area of expertise is the use of routine data to influence policy and address healthcare inequalities. Her work has influenced national service specifications, children's palliative care funding, and vaccine prioritisation for children with COVID. Working closely with children and their parents are central to her research and her team were awarded the Royal College of Paediatric and Child Health Patient and Public Involvement prize in 2022.
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One of the key tenets of the centre will be patient and public involvement (PPI), ensuring that any policy impact or research outputs are undertaken with the input of people with lived experience of paediatric palliative care.​
It is really exciting that Kentown Support has funded the development of a Centre of Excellence for Children’s Palliative Care at Kings College London. Babies, children and young people with life limiting or life-threatening conditions and their families should have equitable access to high quality equitable, health and social care where and when they need it. But we need better evidence on how best to plan, fund and deliver this care. I am looking forward to working with children, families, professional colleagues and the Kentown Support team to take this forward.
Lorna Fraser
Professor of Palliative Care and Child Health
Cicely Saunders Institute, King's College London
Use the links below to find out more about the centre, our studentships and funding opportunities, and the work that we're supporting.
