Palliative care in neurology
For the past 36 years Dr David Oliver
has been at the coalface of palliative care, working as a hospice
medical director as well as playing a pioneering role in neurological
palliative care. Prof Dr Gian Domenico Borasio,
Chair in Palliative Medicine, University of Lausanne, Switzerland,
looks at David’s important contribution to this expanding field.
Palliative care in neurology is an all-important, yet hitherto still
mostly neglected field of clinical medicine. Recent advances have
enlarged the evidence base for neurological palliative care, which for a
long time had been restricted mainly to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
(ALS), to diseases such as stroke, movement disorders, and multiple
sclerosis, to name but a few. In addition, palliative care in dementia
is picking up speed strongly.
Encouragingly, the World Federation of Neurology (WFN) has shown
increased attention to palliative care in recent years: the last three
World Congresses of Neurology each had at least two sessions (one
teaching course and one scientific session) on neurological palliative
care. The WFN is looking at palliative care as one of its main topics
for the future.
One of the pioneers of palliative care in neurology is Dr David
Oliver FRCP, Medical Director of the Wisdom Hospice in Rochester, UK,
and Honorary Reader at the University of Kent. He worked at St
Christopher’s Hospice with Dame Cicely Saunders in 1983-84 and
subsequently developed a keen interest in neurological palliative care,
particularly in ALS. He has written several seminal papers on the topic
and is the lead editor of the standard book in the field, ‘Palliative
Care in ALS’ (one of the first books devoted to palliative care in a
non-oncological disorder). He is also author of the book ‘Motor Neurone
Disease – a Family Affair’ (now in its 3rd edition),
co-editor of the book ‘Palliative Care in Neurology’, and has most
recently edited a book on ‘End of Life Care in Neurological Disease’.
David is in high demand as a palliative care teacher worldwide, and
has lectured extensively, eg in Eastern Europe, Africa and Australia. In
2001, he received the Humanitarian Award at the International Symposium
on ALS/MND. Since 2008, he has led the European Association for
Palliative Care (EAPC) Task Force on Neurology and Palliative Care,
which has just finalised a manuscript on consensus guidelines for the
care of people with neurological disease. Since 2011, he has been a
member of the EAPC Board of Directors.
After 36 years in palliative care, David will retire from his position at the Wisdom Hospice on February 1st.
This will luckily provide him (as he freely admits) with more time to
devote to teaching and research, and we all look forward to his further
contributions to the field.
David’s skills and accomplishments as a
clinician, a scientist and a teacher are truly impressive. His
kindness, modesty and devotion to improving the care of his patients and
families have been a source of inspiration to many a palliative care
clinician worldwide, and we all hope that this will continue to be so
for many years to come.
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