The Marie Curie Palliative Care Research Unit, London (MCPCRU)

The MCPCRU was established in 1999, and is now based in the Department of Mental Health Sciences at University College London (the Hampstead Campus) where it has expanded rapidly.

Female Asian patient gets a relaxing back rub while in the background her grandchild giggles at the photographer

Its main research themes include:

Evaluation of interventions and effectiveness in palliative care
End-of-life care planning
Continuity of care
Sexuality
Spirituality
Assessment of psychological need
Patient and carer palliative assessments in advanced dementia
End stage renal disease
Palliative care in other advanced non-cancer conditions
Systematic reviews

Strategic statement

The objective of the Marie Curie Palliative Care research initiative is to foster high quality research which will lead to improvements in care for those affected by cancer and other life threatening illnesses through the implementation of evidence based practice.

The strategic development will provide leadership to create an active research culture throughout Marie Curie Cancer Care, achieve a cohesive research programme and ensure that there is effective dissemination and utilisation of new knowledge both within the charity and beyond. The unit has established effective collaborations locally, nationally and internationally.