Developing an All Ireland Position Paper on Rehabilitative Palliative Care
Rehabilitative palliative care; person-centred care; living well with illness.
Rehabilitative Palliative Care is a person-centred approach that integrates rehabilitation principles into palliative care and end-of-life care for people with life-limiting illness. This approach emphasises interprofessional care and support for comfort, coping, and adaptation while assuring the preservation of dignity, autonomy and quality of life at all stages of illness.
Rehabilitative palliative care provides person-centred and interdisciplinary care, including medicine, nursing, physiotherapy, occupational therapy, speech and language therapy, dietetics, social work, and professions that provide spiritual, psychological or emotional support.
Rehabilitative palliative care is becoming a more important feature in the shifting landscape of healthcare. This is because healthcare systems in the Republic of Ireland (ROI) and Northern Ireland (NI), face the challenges of responding to ageing populations and their needs. Around the world people are living longer with life-limiting illnesses, and they are more likely to have multiple long-term conditions and complex needs. In addition to this there have been advances in cancer treatments resulting in more people having palliative treatments where their disease is treatable but not curable. These advances in treatment, alongside other advances in care, mean that more people are living longer with life-limiting illness.
Rehabilitative palliative care offers a vital model of care to ensure people live with dignity, autonomy and maintain a good quality of life whilst living with illness. However, there is much work to be done to develop the model of rehabilitative care and capacity to deliver so that more people can benefit from the care and support they need. As this position paper argues, the work is urgent and it needs to include developing agreed definitions, strategic leadership, interdisciplinary networking, a plan for workforce skills and training, and a service framework to support management, access and equity.
The project aim was to develop an All Ireland Position paper on Rehabilitative Palliative Care.
A three-part methodology was used to gather evidence and stakeholder insights to inform this position paper:
3. Scoping review of the literature using an established method and conducted using international databases and targeted journals to map existing evidence on RPC for adults (+18 years of age) with life-limiting illness. Over 150 peer-reviewed papers were reviewed, with inclusion criteria focused on studies published in English from 2015 to 2025. The review identified models, outcomes, service innovations, and gaps in the evidence base.
PPI contributors were involved in the AIIHPC seminar discussion and workshop. Their perspectives helped to shape and influence the research and development of the position paper. Further information about the delegates and their background can be seen in the AIIHPC report:
‘Living well with advancing illness’ Palliative Rehabilitation Seminar here.
This All Ireland Position Paper on Rehabilitative Palliative Care launched and published in November 2025 provides a foundation for an all-island approach to this area. The paper is designed to stimulate collaboration between policy, practice, education and research, with a focus on service development around the needs of people and quality of provision. This approach will ensure that all individuals can live well, and be supported to self-manage where possible, even with life-limiting illness.
This project timeline was June 2025 to February 2026.
All Ireland Institute of Hospice and Palliative Care
Steering Group
Karen Charnley, Chief Executive Officer, All Ireland Institute of Hospice and Palliative Care
Melanie Nugent, Programme Manager for Education & Practice, All Ireland Institute of Hospice and Palliative Care
Dr Martina O’Reilly, National Clinical Programme for Palliative Care, The Health Service Executive in the Republic of Ireland
Lisa McGirr, Physiotherapy Manager, St Francis Hospice Dublin,
Niamh Donnelly, Occupational Therapist, St Francis Hospice Dublin.
Prof Fiona Ross CBE, Professor Emerita Health and Social Care, Kingston University, former Chair of Princess Alice Hospice.
We thank all those who gave their time and contributed policy and practice insights to the project.
All Ireland Institute of Hospice and Palliative Care (AIIHPC)
The Health Service Executive in the Republic of Ireland
The Public Health Agency in Northern Ireland
Rehabilitative Palliative Care: Evidence to inform an all Ireland position paper
This study set out to examine the current landscape of rehabilitative palliative care in order to inform the development of an all-island position paper. Drawing on a comprehensive scoping review, an interdisciplinary seminar, an interactive workshop, and a series of stakeholder discussion groups, it has provided a multifaceted view of rehabilitative palliative care – its principles, practices, challenges, and potential for development across the island of Ireland.
All Ireland position paper on Rehabilitative Palliative Care (Green paper)
This position paper has outlined the foundations for advancing rehabilitative palliative care across the island of Ireland. While further work is required, the evidence already highlights the significant benefits of RPC for patients, families, service providers, and the wider healthcare system.
Rehabilitative Palliative Care: Scoping Review to Inform an All-Ireland Approach to Development
Potential benefits of RPC include supporting function, autonomy, and quality of life. Gaps include inconsistent terminology, underdeveloped models of care, and limited evaluative, economic and educational research. Findings provide a foundation for future research priorities, policy development, and service planning across the island of Ireland and beyond.
Dr Elizabeth Morrow | Email: Elizabethmorrow@rcsi.ie
