The Wilkes Institute at St Luke’s - Palliative Care Research
Every day, people trust St Luke’s at some of the most important moments in their lives. We honour that trust through research and innovation, building the evidence to help us provide the best possible palliative and end of life care.
Building the evidence to advance palliative care
The Wilkes Institute at St Luke’s is committed to understanding what makes palliative care effective and using that knowledge to guide everyday practice. At the Wilkes Institute, research and education bring together researchers, staff, patients, families and carers to explore, question and advance how care is delivered for people living with a progressive illness and those close to them.
Our research strategy is built around six priorities: governance and procedures, infrastructure, activity and grant development, funding, collaboration and clinical and academic research development and leadership. This framework has helped us embed a strong research culture across the organisation and positioned St Luke’s as both a leader and active partner in palliative care research.
We work with research partners across the UK, including the Sheffield Centre for Health and Related Research at the University of Sheffield, and the Wolfson Palliative Care Research Centre at Hull York Medical School. We also support staff to develop their own research ideas into grant applications for projects involving participants from the Hospice.
To grow our research capacity, we help our staff build their research skills and confidence with training and resources, including:
Good Clinical Practice (GCP) and Informed Consent training through the NIHR
Library services at Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHSFT to access the latest evidence
Yorkshire & Humber Community of Research Practice Internships
Looking ahead, our priorities include further enhancing research capacity and infrastructure, increasing staff involvement, and strengthening engagement with the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), so that our learning continues to benefit patients and their families.
Palliative care research remains significantly under-resourced, and our work depends on continued investment and funding. You can learn more about the importance of hospice-based research via Hospice UK. To find out how you can help us continue this work, please contact us at wilkes@hospicesheffield.co.uk.
Current palliative care research studies at The Wilkes Institute
As part of our research strategy, we’re carrying out and contributing to a number of projects that add to an ongoing evidence base in palliative care, helping us understand what works and where we can improve.
RESOLVE (Part 3): Improving health and symptom experience for people living with advanced cancer.
Equitable Bereavement Care for All: An inclusive, qualitative study to improve bereavement services for people from ethnic minority groups.
MIT-ECHO: Exploring how Project ECHO influences the learning and future practice of internal medicine trainees.
C SNAT-I: Understanding how the Carer Support Needs Assessment Tool can be used in culturally sensitive ways to support minority ethnic unpaid and family carers.
Informal Caregiving: Looking at the experiences of people providing informal care for loved ones with non-malignant respiratory disease at the end of life.
DAMPen-D II: Improving how delirium is detected, assessed, managed, and prevented in palliative care units.
IMPROVE: Intervention to Optimise Palliative Care for People with Lived Experience of Homelessness (IMPROVE) – a realist evaluation.
Ambulance End of Life Care: Exploring how patients and relatives experience end of life care provided by UK ambulance services.
Reaching Further: Working with communities to understand local end of life needs through workshops and discussions.
Hospice Magic: Examining hospice staff views on the non-clinical benefits of hospice care.
Impact of IPE: Understanding how regular interprofessional education supports teamwork and decision-making among hospice care professionals.
Professional Perspectives on Assisted Dying: Investigating how nurses and healthcare workers in countries with assisted dying legislation view its impact.
Drip vs Drive: Comparing whether delivering subcutaneous fluids by gravity infusion improves patient outcomes over using a subcutaneous pump.
The Wilkes Institute staff actively contribute to palliative care research, publishing in peer-reviewed journals and presenting findings at national and international conferences. To see examples from our 2025-2026 publications, click here.
The Wilkes Institute Research Team
Dr Paul Taylor
Head of Research
Dr Paul Taylor
As a palliative care doctor and researcher, Paul is interested in how St Luke’s can provide the best possible care. This means making sure treatments are effective, understanding different illnesses, and helping people receive the right care at the right time and in the right place. He is also passionate about giving people the opportunity to take part in research if they want to – something many people value.
Paul’s own research focuses on how data can help understand and improve patient care, while minimising the burden on those receiving support. He has developed and supported research into Project ECHO, one of St Luke’s educational resources. Most recently, he worked on a project creating educational resources for homecare workers, who play a crucial role in delivering good care at home.
As Head of Research at The Wilkes Institute, Paul works to identify research opportunities, develop his own projects, teach colleagues to build research skills, and help those with ideas turn them into studies that benefit our patients and their families.
Research Themes:
Use of data in research
Social care and palliative care
Project ECHO
University Affiliation: Sheffield Centre for Health & Related Research
Publications: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9140-4972
Clare Pye
The Head of the Wilkes Institute/ NIHR 70&70 Senior Nurse Research Leader
Clare Pye
Clare feels very fortunate to hold a role at The Wilkes Institute that offers both breadth and variety. Her work spans the governance and delivery of palliative care research, as well as education and innovation, meaning no two days are the same.
Since joining in 2023, she has focused on strengthening research governance processes to align more closely with Health Research Authority (HRA) standards – particularly important given that independent hospices operate outside these formal regulations.
A key priority for Clare has been building the capacity and capability of the workforce, ensuring staff have the knowledge, skills and dedicated time to engage with and contribute to The Wilkes Institute’s growing research agenda.
Research Themes:
Research governance
Capacity and capability of our workforce
Publications: Clare Pye (0000-0003-4929-7215) - ORCID
Dr Sam Kyeremateng
Medical Director, Honorary Senior Clinical Lecturer
Dr Sam Kyeremateng
Originally from Dundee, Sam completed his medical training in Aberdeen in 1998 and moved to Sheffield in 1999. Sam has been a consultant at St Luke’s since 2008, becoming Medical Director in 2013 and Responsible Officer in 2014. In 2018, his role expanded to lead the development of new and innovative clinical services. He is the Executive Lead for Specialist Palliative Care Research and the Project ECHO Superhub.
Sam is a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh and a Clinical Leader for end of life care within the NHS North East and Yorkshire Strategic Clinical Network, supporting the Specialist Palliative Medicine Workforce agenda. From 2018 to 2023, he also served as Training Programme Director for Palliative Medicine at the Yorkshire and Humber Local Education Training Board.
University Affiliation: The Medical School, University of Sheffield
Jane Manson
Leadership Fellow for Project ECHO
Jane Manson
Jane is a Clinical Specialist Physiotherapist and NIHR Clinical Doctoral Fellow. Her current doctorate explores the best way to deliver community palliative rehabilitation. This involves a realist review, cross-sectional survey, and contrasting case study methodology.
Jane also works one day with the Project ECHO team at St Luke's. She assists with evaluation and leads on ECHO programmes for Advanced Clinical Practitioners and Allied Health Professionals.
University Affiliation: Sheffield Centre for Health & Related Research
Professor Clare Gardiner
Professor of Palliative Care
Professor Clare Gardiner
Clare Gardiner is Professor of Palliative Care at the School of Allied Health Professionals, Nursing and Midwifery. She leads the Sheffield Palliative and End of Life Care Research Group and is Co-Director of the Mesothelioma UK Research Centre. Clare has over 15 years’ experience in palliative care research and has published more than 100 papers in peer-reviewed journals.
In 2015, she received a Vice Chancellor’s Fellowship to explore economic aspects of palliative care, and in 2020 was awarded a Winston Churchill Memorial Trust Fellowship to study policies supporting working end of life carers. Clare is also Chair of the European Association for Palliative Care Reference Group for Family Caregivers.
University Affiliation: School of Nursing & Midwifery, University of Sheffield
Harriet Rick
Research Administrator
Harriet Rick
Harriet works as a Project ECHO Support Assistant and Research Administrator at the Wilkes Institute, helping to connect education and research activities. Her role includes stakeholder engagement, planning and coordinating training courses, and supporting course leaders.
Within Project ECHO, she ensures smooth operations and effective engagement, while in research administration, she supports governance processes and day-to-day operational tasks across the institute.
Harriet is passionate about extending the reach of the Wilkes Institute. She actively supports programmes designed to improve patient outcomes and benefit communities in Sheffield and beyond, encouraging collaboration, innovation, and continued excellence in research and training.
Dr Chloe Tuck
Researcher in Residence
Dr Chloe Tuck
Chloe is passionate about equity at end of life. Her participatory mixed-methods research uses creative approaches to explore how social prescribing supports wellbeing and social connection, particularly for underserved communities in Sheffield.
Before joining St Luke’s, Chloe worked as a project manager for an international health charity and completed a PhD exploring cancer experiences in Ghana. This work led to the production of six publications and a suite of creative resources.
Research Themes:
Social prescribing, wellbeing and social connectivity at end of life
Creative methods in palliative care
Equity and inclusion in end of life care
Publications: Chloe Tuck (0000-0003-3525-6295) - ORCID
Dr Cath Billings
Research Support Volunteer
Dr Cath Billings
After retiring from the NHS, Cath joined The Wilkes Institute as a part-time research support volunteer for the Wilkes Institute. With a distinguished career as a Healthcare Scientist specialising in Respiratory Physiology, she brings significant expertise to the research team.
Alongside her clinical work, she contributed widely to research, publishing numerous papers and serving as Chair of the Research Committee for her professional body. She is a strong advocate for the involvement of non-medical healthcare professionals in research to enhance palliative care.
As the Wilkes Institute grows, Cath plays an important role in advancing research within the Hospice. Her work includes analysing data from the VICTOR project to understand the impact of being a research-active organisation, and establishing the Literature Search Café to foster a culture of learning and evidence-based practice.
Information and opportunities for researchers
To ensure our services are as effective as possible, it is important that we remain up to date with the latest evidence and promote a culture of research. In addition, many of our patients and clients, as well as their families and carers, tell us they would like to be involved in palliative care research, and we aim to make this as easy as possible. Below you’ll find the information, support and opportunities available for anyone interested in learning more about research or taking part.
The Wilkes Institute has launched a Literature Search Café to support staff and researchers to obtain the most relevant and recent evidence to support research or quality improvement projects.
If you are planning a literature search and would like help getting started, the Literature Search Café can guide you through finding relevant papers and gathering the evidence you need.
To get involved, complete the application form and answer as many questions as possible. Once you submit the form, we will contact you to arrange a convenient time to meet and begin your search.
The Wilkes Institute Research Committee Groups bring together healthcare staff to oversee research and quality improvement, ensure projects meet regulatory and organisational standards, and foster learning and collaboration across the Hospice.
Clinical Audit & Research Group (CARG):
CARG ensures all research, audits, service evaluations, and quality improvement projects follow the correct procedures and meet required standards. It oversees governance on behalf of the Clinical Research and Development Committee (CRDC) and the Board of Trustees, making sure projects align with St Luke’s vision and values. The group also plans and tracks the audit schedule and follows up on any actions.
Clinical Research & Development Committee (CRDC):
CRDC keeps the Board of Trustees informed about clinical research at The Wilkes Institute, including all planning, reviewing, funding and management of projects carried out here or by our staff. This group sets the overall research direction, oversees innovation and clinical development, and acts as the principal stakeholder for the Wilkes Institute, covering three key areas: research, internal education, and external development.
Papers 2 Patients (P2P):
P2P provides an opportunity for staff to learn how to use evidence in practice. Members can ask questions, search for information, and critically review research. The group builds confidence in discussing research, supports learning and mentoring, and teaches staff how to find the best research to guide care. The format of P2P sessions is problem-based learning and may involve delivering presentations on chosen topics.
Webinars and regional opportunities – coming soon.
Below you can download and read the latest editions of The Wilkes Institute Research Matters newsletter.
Below you can download and read our Research Strategy, Standard Operating Procedures (SOPS), and research policies and processes:
Get in touch
If you’d like to learn more about The Wilkes Institute at St Luke’s Hospice, explore opportunities to connect, or discuss how you can support the advancement of palliative care, we’d be happy to hear from you. Please email us at wilkes@hospicesheffield.co.uk to get in touch.
Education at The Wilkes Institute at St Luke’s
Alongside our palliative care research, the Wilkes Institute brings together learning, collaboration and professional development for our own staff and the wider healthcare community. Browse our available courses and see how you can get involved.
The Wilkes Institute research publications
The Wilkes Institute staff actively contribute to palliative care research, publishing in peer-reviewed journals and presenting findings at national and international conferences. Here are examples from our 2025-2026 publications:
Reference | Publication date | Type of output | St Luke’s role | Publication Link |
Elliott-Button, H.L., Mwaba, K., Bayley, Z. et al. Policy gaps regarding social homecare in the context of end-of-life; a policy document analysis. BMC Palliat Care 25, 213 (2026). | 27/05/2026 | Paper | Author | |
Taylor P, Bishop K, Davies JM, et al. Data-based research in UK palliative care: guidance, challenges, opportunities. BMJ Supportive & Palliative Care 2026;16:844-851. | 11/04/2026 | Paper | Author | |
Lee GC, Jones C, Hammond P, et al. Implementation of the new internal medicine training (IMT) curriculum (UK): a new and novel palliative care communication course; CoMPaSs. BMJ Supportive & Palliative Care Published Online First: 07 April 2026. doi: 10.1136/spcare-2025-005528 | 07/04/2026 | Paper | Author | |
Turner B, Nicholson-Lailey A, Muscroft A, et al PPT80 Management of oral candidiasis in palliative care patients: a systematic review BMJ Supportive & Palliative Care 2026;16:A38-A39. | 25/03/2026 | Conference poster | Author | |
Foster C, Muscroft A, Taylor P. PPT86 A service evaluation of NK1 receptor antagonist use for intractable nausea and vomiting in palliative care. BMJ Supportive & Palliative Care 2026;16:A41. | 25/03/2026 | Conference poster | Author | |
Tuck C, Aeppli J, Taylor P, et al. PPT38 Creative methodologies in global palliative care. BMJ Supportive & Palliative Care 2026;16:A22-A23. | 25/03/2026 | Oral presentation | Author | |
Tuck C, Pevy N, Baldwin E, et al. PPT39 Evaluation of a social prescribing service for palliative care. BMJ Supportive & Palliative Care 2026;16:A23. | 25/03/2026 | Conference poster | Author | |
Manson, J., Taylor, P., Mawson, S. et al. What models of community palliative rehabilitation exist for adults in the United Kingdom? – a national cross-sectional survey. BMC Palliat Care 25, 100 (2026). | 13/03/2026 | Paper | Author | |
Bayley, Z., Forward, C., Elliott-Button, H. et al. Co-production with marginalised workers: working with homecare workers and managers caring for people approaching end-of-life. Res Involv Engagem 12, 1 (2026). | 06/12/2025 | Paper | Author | |
Bayley, Z. Forward, C. White, C. Addressing barriers to interprofessional working with homecare workers in community palliative care: Insights from a multi-site qualitative case study. Palliative Medicine. 40 (1): 62 - 73. (2025) | 24/11/2025 | Paper | Author | |
Abbey, E., Sunderland, K., Cooper, M. et al. Patient perceptions of advance care planning within primary care: a systematic review of facilitators and barriers. BMC Prim. Care 26, 337 (2025). | 31/10/2025 | Paper | Author | |
Boland, E.G., Khamis, A., Tay, K.T. et al. Symptom prevalence in gastrointestinal cancer: a secondary analysis of IPOS data. Support Care Cancer 33, 860 (2025). | 18/09/2025 | Paper | Author | |
Manson J, Taylor P, Mawson S, et al. Identifying aspects of physiotherapy and occupational therapy provision in community palliative rehabilitation that could improve outcomes: A realist review. Palliative Medicine. 2025;39(7):734-749. | 22/04/2025 | Paper | Author | |
Manson J, Taylor P, O’Cathain A. 157 Delivery of community palliative rehabilitation – a UK survey of models of care. BMJ Supportive & Palliative Care 2025;15:A67-A68. | 18/03/2025 | Conference presentation | Supervised by SLH staff | |
Benitez IV, Taylor P 92. Views of hospice nurses on the role of the chaplain. BMJ Supportive & Palliative Care 2025;15:A43. | 18/03/2025 | Conference presentation | Supervised by SLH staff | |
Pye C, Painter J, Smith T, et al. P-194 Exploring the scope, value and contribution of the clinical research nurse to trial design, conduct and overall trial performance. BMJ Supportive & Palliative Care 2024;14:A84. | 26/11/2024 | Conference poster | First Author | Not available |
Smith MM. P-103 Utilising project ECHO® to implement the tier 1 face-to-face element of Oliver McGowan mandatory training across South Yorkshire. BMJ Supportive & Palliative Care 2023;13:A48. | 26/11/2024 | Conference Poster | First Author | Not available |
Smith MM, Ghasemi L. P-106 How St Luke’s Hospice is using ECHO to deliver palliative care training to medical staff in a clinical oncology department in Egypt. BMJ Supportive & Palliative Care 2023;13:A49. | 26/11/2024 | Poster | Author | |
Anderson F, Manson J, Baldwin E, et al. P-52 Models of rehabilitative palliative care by PTs/OTs in adult specialist palliative care – a scoping review. BMJ Supportive & Palliative Care 2024;14:A29. | 26/11/2024 | Poster | First Author | |
Khan N, Pevy N, Baldwin E, et al. P-108 Utilising a community engagement framework and the UK census for effective hospice outreach support. BMJ Supportive & Palliative Care 2024;14:A51. | 26/11/2024 | Poster | Author | |
Joddrell P, Manson J, Kyeremateng S, et al. Six years of Project ECHO: Implementation and evaluation of a hospice-led multiprofessional education programme. Health Informatics Journal. 2024;30(4). | 10/10/2024 | Paper | Author | |
Abbey E, Ali M, Cooper M, Taylor P, Mayland CR. Recognising dying in motor neurone disease: A scoping review. Palliative Medicine. 2024;38(9):923-934. | 28/07/2024 | Paper | Author | |
Forward C, Bayley Z, Walker L, et al. Homecare workers needs and experiences in end of life care: rapid review. BMJ Supportive & Palliative Care 2024;14:e2330-e2340. | 29/02/2024 | Paper | Author | |
Burdon J, Fingas S, Parry R, et al. Sedation from analgesics: patient preference survey. BMJ Supportive & Palliative Care 2025;15:262-265. | 22/02/2024 | Paper | Author | |
“Matters after death” - the development of a new undergraduate teaching module, to address a key educational need. Grassby R, Fingas S. Royal College of Physicians Regional Poster Competition. | 10/01/2023 | Poster | Author | |
Bayley Z, Bothma J, Bravington A, Forward C, Hussain J, Manthorpe J, Pearson M, Roberts H, Taylor P, Walker L, White C, Wray J, Johnson MJ. Supported: Supporting, enabling, and sustaining homecare workers to deliver end-of-life care: A qualitative study protocol. PLoS One. 2023 Dec 13;18(12):e0291525. | 10/01/2023 | Paper | Author | |
Insights into Advance Care Planning in Africa [German]. D Basirika, A Merriman, N Gumoyesige, E Namisango, E Matthews, S Guma. The Journal of Evidence and Quality in Healthcare. June 23. 180, 2023, 16-20. | 06/01/2023 | Paper | Author | |
Palliative Care Teaching in The New Internal Medicine Curriculum: Project Echo - An Innovative Approach to Postgraduate Education. Dr.Gemma C. Lee, Dr Laura McTague, Dr Peter Hammond, Dr Colin Jones, Dr Paul Taylor, Dr Sam Kyeremateng. BMJ Supportive and Palliative Care. doi: 10.1136/spcare-2022-004008 | 03/01/2023 | Paper | Author | |
Evaluation of the safety and efficacy of famotidine as a continuous subcutaneous infusion. Mascarenhas T, Brocklebank J, Pitsillides C, Davies J. 2023 Palliative Care Congress | 03/01/2023 | Poster | Supervised by SLH staff | |
Right needle, right patient, right time? A national flash-mob audit of thromboprophylaxis in palliative care. Alice Crabtree, Emily Kavanagh, Charlotte Chamberlain, Donna Wakefield, et al. Thrombosis Research, Volume 223, 2023, Pages 95-101, | 01/01/2023 | Paper | Acknowledgements | |
Establishing a research programme in an independent hospice. Taylor P, Kyeremateng S, Lenton J et al. BMJ Supportive and Palliative Care. 12(3) | 11/01/2022 | Poster | First Author | |
Creating virtual communities of practice for ambulance paramedics; a qualitative evaluation of the use of Project ECHO in end of life care. Hodge A, Manson J, McTague L, Kyeremateng S, Taylor P. British Paramedic Journal 2022. Nov. 7(3). 51-58 | 11/01/2022 | Paper | Author | |
Measuring quality of dying, death and end-of-life care for children and young people: a scoping review of available tools. Mayland, Catriona; Sunderland , Katy; Cooper, Matthew; Taylor, Paul; et al. Palliative Medicine 2022; Sep 36(8). 1186-1206 | 09/01/2022 | Paper | Author | |
Transitioning Young People with Life-limiting Conditions from Child-Centred to Adult-Oriented Services: Parents’/ Carers’ Concerns & Priorities. Soman A, Hartley D, Kyeremateng S, Cutsey L, Camplbell J, Newbegin M, Hulme K. | 05/01/2022 | Poster | Author | |
Emergency department presentations in palliative care patients: a retrospective cohort study. Taylor P, Stone T, Simpson R, Kyeremateng S, Mason S. BMJ Supportive and Palliative Care 2022; 0. 1-4 | 03/01/2022 | Paper | First Author | |
Methadone prescribing and outcomes - a service evaluation to review changes in practice. Pitsillides C, Ali M, Nicholson-Lailey A, Fingas S, Davies J. BMJ Supportive & Palliative Care 2022;12(Suppl 2):P76 | 03/01/2022 | Poster | Author | Not available |
Mobile technology and delegated work in specialist community services: the EnComPaSS Integration project. Ariss SMB, Taylor P, Fitzsimmons D, Kyeremateng S, Mawson S. BMJ Supportive and Palliative Care 2021; 0:1-8 | 12/01/2021 | Paper | Author | |
P-197 Care home virtual open-access integrated clinic and ECHO support: St Luke’s COVID-19 response. Westerdale-Shaw E, Ghasemi L, Manson J, et al. BMJ Supportive & Palliative Care 2021;11:A80. | 11/01/2021 | Poster | Author | Not available |
Experiences of surgical nurses in providing end-of-life care in an acute care setting: a qualitative study. Limbu T, Taylor P. British Journal of Nursing. 2021 Oct 14;30(18):1084-1089. doi: 10.12968/bjon.2021.30.18.1084. | 10/01/2021 | Paper | Author | Not available |
Opioid-induced constipation: a stepwise treatment algorithm feasibility study. Davies AN, Leach C, Butler C, et al. BMJ Supportive & Palliative Care Published Online First: 04 August 2021. doi: 10.1136/bmjspcare-2020-002754 | 08/01/2021 | Paper | Acknowledgements | Not available |
Systematic review of factors influencing decisions to limit treatment in the emergency department. Walzl N, Sammy IA, Taylor PM, et al. Emergency Medicine Journal Published Online First: 03 March 2021. doi: 10.1136/emermed-2019-209398 | 03/01/2021 | Paper | Author | Not available |
Palliative care education in nursing homes: a qualitative evaluation of telementoring. Manson J, Gardiner C, Taylor P, et al. BMJ Supportive & Palliative Care Published Online First: 24 February 2021. doi: 10.1136/bmjspcare-2020-002727 | 02/01/2021 | Paper | First Author | Not available |
Opioid-induced constipation in patients with cancer: a “real-world,” multicentre, observational study of diagnostic criteria and clinical features. Davies A, Leach C, Butler C et al. Pain. 162:1. 309-318 | 01/01/2021 | Paper | Acknowledgements | Not available |
What are the barriers and facilitators to family presence during cardiopulmonary resuscitation in an adult intensive care setting? A narrative review of the literature | 09/01/2020 | Master's dissertation | Supervised by SLH staff | Not available |
Non-specialist physiotherapists perceptions of treating people with HIV in the UK: a small scale exploratory study. Strudley H. Journal of the Association of Chartered Physiotherapists in Oncology and Palliative Care. Vol. 5. Spring 2020. pp 3-15. | 07/01/2020 | Paper | First Author | Not available |
Evaluating an online tele-mentoring palliative care education programme for domiciliary care workers. Manson J, Ghasemi L, Westerdale E, Taylor P, Kyeremateng S, McTague L. Nursing Older People. 2020. doi: 10.7748/nop.2020.e1235 | 04/01/2020 | Paper | First Author | Not available |
112 Surveying the users of an open-access support service for people affected by an illness that has no cure. Battye E, Taylor P. BMJ Supportive & Palliative Care 2020;10:A47-A48. | 03/01/2020 | Poster | Author | Not available |