Palliative care: two words that strike fear into most people. But are we thinking about palliative care all wrong? On this week's episode of Movers and Shakers, we're in the pub and discussing how to approach conversations about care that goes beyond the merely curative. The Movers and Shakers are joined by a palliative care consultant for this part of the discussion, and then a tip-top High Court judge to look at how you can make legal provisions to prepare yourself, and your family, for any incapacity.
Each week Rory Cellan-Jones guides us between the laughs and moans in the pub. To read Rory's summary of this week's episode click here.
Guest Biographies
Mrs Justice Theis DBE
Mrs Justice Theis DBE, was called to the Bar by Gray’s Inn in 1982 and took Silk in 2003. She was appointed a Recorder in 2000 and was approved to sit as a deputy High Court Judge.
From 2005 to 2010 she was head of Field Court Chambers and was Chair of the Family Law Bar Association in 2008 and 2009. In 2010 she was appointed to be a High Court Judge.
In 2011 the President of the Family Division appointed her a Family Division Liaison Judge on the South Eastern Circuit with responsibility for Kent, Surrey and Sussex and in 2017 for London and Thames Valley.
Since 2018 she has chaired the Family Procedure Rules Committee and the Family Justice Council and is the lead judge in relation to applications under the HFEA 2008.
Mrs Justice Theis was appointed as the Senior Family Liaison Judge for a four-year period from October 2018. This is in addition to her role as the Family Division Liaison Judge for London.
Dr Sabrina Bajwah
Dr Sabrina Bajwah is a Clinical Senior Lecturer in the Department of Palliative Care, Policy & Rehabilitation at King’s College London). Sabrina would describe herself as a British Pakistani Muslim who grew up in the North of England.
She now lives in West London and works clinically as a Palliative Care Consultant within the palliative care team at King’s College NHS Foundation Trust and the Interstitial Lung Disease team at Guys and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation trust serving an ethnically diverse community. Her research interests include different models of palliative care and racial inequality. She is a passionate egalitarian.
Watch some behind the scenes footage of our End of Days episode being recorded
Some useful links
See our Advanced Decision Template here.
Download the forms and guidance to make and register a lasting power of attorney (LPA) here
Palliative care is essential for ensuring that patients experience comfort and dignity in their final stages of life. Addressing both physical and emotional needs is crucial. Services like bathing and grooming care are fundamental in maintaining a patient’s sense of well-being and self-respect. When combined with compassionate medical care, these services help create a nurturing environment for patients and their families, allowing them to focus on spending meaningful time together during such a challenging period.
Hi, there. I started to listen to your excellent podcast because my sister has Parkinson's and I wanted to get a better understanding of this disease because she does not want to talk about it and I, of course, have to respect that. This podcast is a really good way of explaining as much as it is possible, through actual lived-through experience by the six friends here, what it's all about to people like me, who haven't got much of a clue. Thank you very much for this brilliant series of very informative, and often humorous talks. Jeremy Paxman always makes me laugh, for example. There's only one thing that bothered me a little, especially today: Sometimes when the group…