Research and education at the Wilkes Institute
The Wilkes Institute at St Luke’s Hospice, named after our founder, Eric Wilkes, builds on our culture of excellence as a dedicated research, education and training centre. Together, we can pave the way to improvements in palliative care for all.
Better palliative and end of life care for all
St Luke’s has always been committed to learning, sharing knowledge and enhancing care – for our patients, their loved ones, and the wider community of professionals we support. The work we have long delivered in palliative research and education has now come together under a single name: The Wilkes Institute.
St Luke’s is a local charity, but our vision is global: “A world where patients and families facing terminal illness don’t feel alone and receive the care and support, they need to make the most of precious time and experience a good death.”
Our aim for The Wilkes Institute is to make end of life care training and research accessible and impactful. We’re passionate about patient-facing palliative research that offers value for real people, as well as applied research to improve care and wellbeing.
We believe in sharing what we learn. Through new palliative care education programmes and courses, we pass on our experience to health and social care professionals, helping to raise the standard of palliative and end of life care at and beyond our hospice.
What we do
Research in Palliative Care
Through The Wilkes Institute, St Luke’s leads and participates in end of life and palliative research that helps shape better practice, supports evidence-based decision-making, and influences care locally, nationally and internationally.
Education in Palliative Care
Alongside our palliative research, The Wilkes Institute brings together learning, collaboration and professional development for our own staff and the wider healthcare community. Browse our available courses to see how you can get involved.
Continuing Eric Wilkes’ legacy
Professor Eric Wilkes originally trained as a general practitioner before becoming a key figure in the national and international hospice movement. He went on to open St Luke’s Hospice – the first modern hospice unit outside London and the first day-hospice in the UK.
We’re dedicated to continuing Professor Wilkes’ commitment to improving hospice care and people’s experience at the end of life. Through research and education, The Wilkes Institute builds and shares the knowledge, skills, and confidence that directly improves the care we and others can provide.
Funding the Wilkes Institute
St Luke’s has always been committed to learning, sharing knowledge and improving care - for our patients, their loved ones, and the wider community of professionals we support. What we have long delivered in research, education and training is now coming together under a new name: The Wilkes Institute.
Building on Professor Eric Wilkes’ original vision, The Wilkes Institute will continue this tradition by offering training, research and collaboration opportunities. This new banner simply brings clarity and focus to the work we are already doing, while enabling us to generate income through courses and partnerships that help us share best practice more widely.
Contact The Wilkes Institute
To get in touch about the St Luke's Wilkes Institute, speak to us about partnering on a new course, or to support with course delivery, please email us at wilkes@hospicesheffield.co.uk.
News and insights from The Wilkes Institute
Read more about The Wilkes Institute research and education in palliative care to see how our work is driving innovation and improving experiences for patients and their families.