Carol Thomas, Liz Rolls, Amanda Bingley, Anne Grinyer, Tom Lynch

The Cancer Experiences Collaborative (CECo) brings together five UK universities led by Southampton with Lancaster, Manchester, Liverpool, and Nottingham. Funding is provided by six partner organisations through the National Cancer Research Institute (NCRI) Supportive and Palliative Care (SuPaC) research collaboratives scheme. CECo has been given an exciting opportunity over the next 5 years to build much needed research capacity in supportive and palliative care; through the development of new research initiatives, resources and networks.

CECo works through collaborating university-based research teams focusing on three key themes; innovative approaches to complex symptoms; planning for the care of older adults towards the end of life; and narrative research, which underpins the methodological approach through all the themes.

Part of the work of each research team is to plan a range of events, activities and research initiatives to develop research capacity; provide opportunities for the exchange of ideas and to support the design of new projects.

The CECo narrative research team is based in the International Observatory on End of Life Care, Institute for Health Research at Lancaster University. The team leads on the research theme: 'Narratives of cancer and life threatening illness'.

Narratives have much to teach us about living with illness, suffering and experiences of care. Research designed to uncover and explore narratives in illness and palliative care contexts can inform practice and policy.

There is a growing body of 'illness narratives' research which supports the value of this kind of approach in exploring the lived experience of people with illness, their carers and healthcare professionals involved in their treatment and support.

Building on existing evidence of the (often underused) potential in narrative research in palliative and supportive care, the CECo narrative theme aims to draw upon this knowledge; support the development of narrative research skills; and encourage a wider use of these methods in the field.

If you would like to subscribe to the network or want more information about the CECo narrative research theme or other CECo themes please go to the website www.ceco.org.uk, or contact : Liz Rolls - Honorary Research Fellow, CECo Narrative Theme, Lancaster University: Tel: 01524 593309, Email: liz.rolls@lancaster.ac.uk