This taskforce has been started November 2010.

Anecdotal evidence suggests that the provision of palliative care occupational therapy in Europe varies widely between countries. This is supported by our preminary enquiries to occupational therapists and physiotherapists in Europe working in palliative care. Also, an open (and well advertised) meeting for occupational therapists at the recent EAPC research congress in Glasgow in June 2010 attracted only three participants – one occupational therapist from Japan, one from the UK, and a social worker from Portugal.

The first stage of the Task Force Steering Committee will be to use the networks available through the EAPC and the Council of Occupational Therapists for the European Countries (COTEC) to identify between two and four European occupational therapists with an interest in palliative care to join the Task Force.

We will use protocols and guidelines developed in countries where palliative care occupational therapy is well established (such as the UK and Australia) as a guide to the potential scope of occupational therapy across Europe, at the same time taking careful account of the different contexts of health care provision in European countries.

Anecdotal evidence suggests that the provision of palliative care occupational therapy in Europe varies widely between countries. However, it is difficult to gain a clear picture of the situation as there are no existing networks facilitating communication and sharing information between occupational therapists. This Task Force aims to establish connections between occupational therapists in Europe interested in palliative care, in order to define the scope and remit of occupational therapy in palliative care in Europe.

• To identify at least two additional occupational therapists in European countries (outside of the UK) with whom to collaborate on the Task Force.
• To map the provision of occupational therapy services in palliative care in Europe.
• To present a White Paper setting out the role of occupational therapy in palliative care in Europe

This Task Force is supported by the co-chairs of the EAPC physiotherapy Task Force, Jenny Taylor and Reiner Simander.

It also has the support of Professor Sheila Payne, Director of the International Observatory on End of Life Care, University of Lancaster.