The EAPC Paediatric Taskforce is a small core group that aims to drive developments for professionals and organisations working in children and young people’s palliative care across Europe. The EAPC is well-established as a strong organisation that brings together palliative care providers across Europe.  The children’s palliative care task force now wishes to promote the development of accessible and high quality children’s palliative care through the EAPC. 

The EAPC/Maruzza Foundation mapping report (2014) highlighted the growing number of children’s palliative care professionals and services across Europe. It is therefore timely to now set up a new Taskforce to bring together all those working to develop and sustain children’s palliative care services, to share learning, to develop and share research and lay a strong evidence base for this small but highly specialised area of care. In particular support is needed for countries in Europe where children’s palliative care is still struggling to get a foothold and in countries where there is only isolated provision, to ensure that it continues to flourish. 

It aims to ensure that palliative care for children and young people has stronger representation within EAPC so that the EAPC can provide one voice across Europe for palliative care across the lifespan. The Taskforce will work on initial identified priorities and develop a network of professionals from across the paediatric sector. It will in future draw on this broad network to set up working groups to take forward any new identified priorities.   

Aims & objectives

1. To bring together the wide range of professionals working to develop children’s palliative care in European countries and provide opportunities for sharing of information, research, education and advocacy.  

2. To support the development and dissemination of the evidence base in children’s palliative care through identification of specific work streams leading to published guidelines and standards.

3. To provide educational opportunities for those working in children’s palliative care through the development of paediatric sessions at EAPC events.

4.  To support the development of palliative care for children and young people across Europe, through advocacy and awareness-raising, signposting organisations to the support offered by the International Children’s Palliative Care Network, the guidelines and standards developed by the Paediatric Taskforce and other useful resources.

Members of the Paediatric Taskforce

• Dr Franca Benini, Director of Paediatric Palliative Care - Pain Service, University of Padua
• Lizzie Chambers, Development Director, Together for Short Lives Dr Finella Craig, Consultant in Paediatric Palliative Medicine, The Louis Dundas Centre, Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Foundation Trust
• Dr Julia Downing, Director of Education and Research, International Children’s Palliative Care Network (ICPCN)
• Meggi Schuiling-Otten, Director, Stichting Pal

To join the EAPC Paediatric Network please email EAPC@togetherforshortlives.org.uk

1. Development of a network of professionals working in paediatric palliative care

Method: Taskforce to actively seek, through existing EAPC membership and external contacts, to engage professionals working in paediatric palliative care.

Outcome: Establish a large network of appropriate professionals from across Europe that will

(1) strengthen paediatric representation within the EAPC

(2)  be involved in future working parties for specific pieces of work.

Time schedule: September 2015 – January 2016 (but new members can continue to be recruited beyond this period).

2. The review and publication of the definition of children’s palliative care and categories of condition that might need palliative care involvement

Method:  The Taskforce will review the definition of children’s palliative care and the categories of condition that might need palliative care involvement in a pan-European context, involving others in the work through the existing contacts and networks of the Taskforce members.   The group will review the existing definitions of cpc and the 4 ACT categories and update these as necessary.

Outcome:   A paper that sets out a clear definition and categories of condition that might require children’s palliative care support.

Time schedule: September 2015– December 2015

3. Development of a Directory of Children’s Palliative Care Services across Europe

Method: The Taskforce will develop a methodology for collecting and collating information about services, carrying out the data collection and putting collated information in to an easily accessible online service directory to be hosted on the EAPC website.   The Taskforce will use its existing contacts and networks and the information gleaned from (1) above to ensure that this Directory is as comprehensive as possible.    The Taskforce will also consider a process for the ongoing update of this Directory.

Outcome: An online Directory of Children’s Palliative Care Services in Europe.

Time schedule:  February – July 2016