Upcoming Workshops and Public Meetings

Forum Workshops Officially Over

The formal listening process for the Forum on End of Life in Ireland has ended. There have been 23 workshops, involving 103 presentations, 160 written submissions, and nine public meetings throughout the country. 

We have learned a lot. Linda Collins, Bob Carroll and Paul Murray have thoroughly enjoyed the process and are sincerely grateful to the groups and individuals who co-operated so magnificently. To our workshop chairpersons and panellists we owe special thanks. They were invited to participate first because they excelled in their own arenas and second because, in all but one instance, they had no specific knowledge of their workshop topic. It worked very well. The response from people who came to the workshops and enlivened them with questions and comments was also most encouraging.

The public meetings were a considerable learning experience. We learned so much from the panellists---funeral undertakers, doctors, nurses, palliative care staff, chaplains, bereavements counsellors, social workers and solicitors---and most of all from those who attended, a mix of carers, older people, the bereaved, and frontline staff of all kinds, among others   

Submissions arrived from organisations and individuals by post and by e mail. These were most welcome and we now have a considerable body of material.  All of the submissions were valuable and appreciated.

It is important to stress however that the Forum is not ended. Bob is writing the report, which will go to consultation before the final version. Later a group will be set up to advance the issues that have been raised.

You will be hearing from us, and we hope to hear from you as the process develops. Please watch out for us on www.endoflife.ie and in the media generally.

With sincere thanks again from Linda, Bob, Paul and all the Forum Team as well as from all in the Irish Hospice Foundation.