Welcome to
The 8th Palliative Care Congress

This biennial conference is co-hosted by The Association for Palliative Medicine (APM), The Palliative Care Research Society (PCRS) and the Royal College of Nursing Palliative Nursing Forum. Each association takes the lead in organising Congress and in 2010 it is the turn of the APM.

The organising committee comprises members of all three associations and the conference programme has been developed by them incorporating suggestions from the 500+ delegates who attended the 7th Palliative Care Congress, which took place in Glasgow in 2008.

The Palliative Care Congress is growing, and the quality of its programme has increasing international recognition. In 2008, Congress drew a truly global audience, with 17.5% of delegates travelling from countries outside the UK and from as far away as Australia, North America, Africa and the Middle East.  This international appeal has been recognised in our conference title: 'The 8th Palliative Care Congress: an International learning opportunity'. 

Our intention is to provide a programme to innovate, stimulate and provoke discussion, whilst providing a comfortable and friendly environment to network with colleagues. There will also be evening entertainment, with a Civic Reception at the end of day 1 and the Congress Dinner in the evening following day 2. Our choice of venue, the Bournemouth International Centre (BIC), in Bournemouth, Dorset, on the south coast of England, compliments this wish for comfort and a friendly environment perfectly. 

The BIC has played host to several high profile and professional events each year, including; annual conferences for political parties and other professional bodies, national competitions and exhibitions, concerts, award ceremonies and live television broadcast programmes, as well as local community events.

Bournemouth is known to surfers and at different times of the season also has a balloon display, as well as welcoming the Red Arrows RAF aerobatics team.  You may prefer to watch the changeable sea from the BIC panoramic windows while eating your lunch, or take advantage of the quality range of shops and boutiques within walking distance of both the BIC and local hotels.

If you decide to extend your stay, Bournemouth is wonderfully situated as a base for exploration. To the west, the World Heritage Jurassic coast offers breathtaking cliff formations and rugged scenery that amply reward the efforts of an invigorating walk or cycle. Similarly absorbing is the serene New Forest, where you can wander among grazing ponies and stop for a cream tea. Inland, the chocolate box cottages dotted throughout picturesque villages are simply stunning and a world away from the bustle of everyday life.

We look forward to seeing you in Bournemouth in 2010.

Martine Meyer
Chair 2010