Home >> Latest ECRF Blog Articles >> An ECRF perspective on the 14th Annual PCRN Symposium

An ECRF perspective on the 14th Annual PCRN Symposium

Author: Niall Manktelow

Published: January 2026

Keywords: PCRN Symposium, Heart Failure, Integration, Policy

I was privileged to be part of the organising committee for the 14^th Annual PCRN Symposium following an open invitation from AIIHPC to ECRF members to be involved in the committee. So, my involvement with the event began way back in April of 2025. Being part of the group that was facilitated by AIIHPC to support the planning of the Symposium was a great experience and gave me a real appreciation of how much thought goes into planning the day behind the scenes. The committee membership was a real reflection of the collaborative and all-Ireland nature of the AIIHPC, with researchers, academics, AIIHPC Voices4Care members and health and social care professionals from across the island contributing their ideas on themes, presenters, and format for the day.

I registered for the event as soon as the invite was sent out (I happened to be on holiday in Spain at the time, but I didn’t want to miss out on my spot!) and several weeks later my participation became more involved when I was notified that my submitted ECRF abstract to the abstract submission call had been selected for an oral presentation. I had submitted for consideration for either poster or oral format and although an oral presentation is more nerve-racking (see Stephanie Crawford’s excellent blog post on this here), I believe it represents a great opportunity to disseminate your work as you literally have a captive audience to speak to.

The topic of my presentation related to how we, in Galway and Mayo Hospice, have been developing a model of integrated palliative heart failure care within the West of Ireland region. I had been clinically involved in this project in my previous role as Chief Pharmacist at our hospice and have had a continued contribution to the development of the approach in my new role as Research Manager. Having seen first-hand the difference it can make for the delivery of care to these patients; it is a concept that I feel passionate about. I was delighted to have the opportunity to share our practical steps around an earlier integration of a palliative approach into advanced heart failure patient care through joint management, educational initiatives, and supportive frameworks that help generalist practitioners recognise and respond to palliative needs.

Despite being very familiar with the topic, I still felt nervous about preparing a presentation, especially considering the time limit for ECRF presentations at the symposium is only 5 minutes (no time for me to ramble!). What helped immensely with planning was thinking back to the ECRF “Building Professional Skills for Palliative Care Research” workshop that was hosted by AIIHPC in early May of this year. At this event Monina Mooney from the Communications Clinic gave some great guidance on how to prepare for presentations and her advice to pick a single key message to deliver to the audience helped me to be judicious and cut my presentation to the allotted time. Recording available here.

Once I arrived at the Wood Quay Venue for the Symposium my nerves dissipated, and I was left only with excitement about the excellent programme of speakers planned. The focus on how research and policy can work together feels especially important as we move into a period of implementation following the publication of the National Adult Palliative Care Policy last year and the audience felt energised by the momentum this has created. The event opened with the launch of the All-Ireland Research Priorities 2025-2030 by AIIHPC and people with lived and professional experience of palliative care. This is an important development that will help guide researchers in generating evidence in the areas that matter most to patients, families, carers, and palliative care professionals in Ireland. The day was packed full of exciting presentations on a wide variety of topics from researchers and health and social care professionals based across the island of Ireland, all providing unique insights on ongoing or completed research in palliative care. My own topic was covered during the ECRF session, and my 5 minutes came and went in a flash. With my contribution completed I was able to focus fully on the excellent presentations delivered by the rest of the speakers, including those from keynote speakers Dr Bridget Johnston and Professor Charles Normand. Following the closing of what was a day filled with thought-provoking discussions, I had time to reflect as I walked briskly to Heuston Station to catch my train back to Galway. What struck me most was how consistently the message of aligning research and policy resonated throughout the programme. This year’s Symposium left me with a clear realisation: this relationship is the foundation for turning evidence into action and ensuring that palliative care research leads to meaningful, beneficial change for patients. Following the excellent presentations at this year’s event, I feel that I’m more committed than ever to embedding this principle in my work, and I look forward to carrying it with me into next year’s Symposium.

There is more information on the 14^th Annual PCRN Symposium here.

Meet the author:

Niall Manktelow is Research Manager at Galway and Mayo Hospice. He graduated from Trinity College Dublin in 2011 before completing his MPharm at RCSI in 2012. His interest in palliative care began during his time caring for patients in the community as a Supervising Pharmacist. Since 2017, he has worked full-time in specialist palliative care, serving as Senior Pharmacist at both Milford Care Centre and Galway Hospice. In 2021, he was appointed Chief II Pharmacist at Galway and Mayo Hospice before moving into the role of Research Manager in 2025. Niall is passionate about the role of research in palliative care and its potential to drive enduring improvements in the quality of life for patients with life-limiting illness. He is a current member of the AIIHPC ECRF Steering Group.