Historical Analysis

The achievements of the International Observatory on End of Life Care are supported and complemented by an ongoing programme of historical research. The Hospice History Programme is based within the Observatory and works with collaborators worldwide to preserve and document important accounts of how and why end of life services become established.

What role does history have in palliative care?

Hospices and the palliative care movement to which they gave rise have helped to transform ideas and practice relating to the care of seriously ill and dying people, and those close to them. The work of hospice and palliative care is still developing rapidly and we take the view that understanding the past can lead to a better awareness of current issues and dilemmas. We characterise our approach to our subject matter as that of a 'critical friend'.

The paradox of the modern hospice movement is that it emerged alongside the British welfare state, which promised to care for people from ‘the cradle to the grave’. We engage in debates which explore the boundaries and limits in providing end of life care in this context, whilst appreciating that concerns that exist in palliative care connect with broader issues within health care.

Methods

We believe that it is important to capture the voices and stories of the modern hospice founders to understand their motivations, the issues and concerns faced by them, and to appreciate the extent to which their experiences influenced change in service provision and the philosophy of care.

The Observatory has an extensive collection of oral history interviews with people involved in the growth of the hospice and palliative care movement worldwide. These interviews record personal experiences and perspectives that cannot be found in documentary sources. We also seek to preserve hospice records and personal papers that may otherwise be lost to posterity by means of careful and secure archival procedures.