A PANEL of nationally-renowned speakers will talk at an annual conference in Worcestershire about specialist care for seriously ill people.

The fifth annual Worcestershire Palliative Care Conference is to take place on Tuesday, January 18 and has been organised by Worcester charity St Richard's Hospice, as well as other care services across the county.

More than 160 delegates will attend the conference at the Charles Hastings Education Centre at the Worcestershire Royal Hospital, in Newtown, Worcester.

Simon Chippendale, senior lecturer at St Richard's Education and Resources Centre, based at the hospice in Rose Hill, near the city centre, said he was looking forward to the event.

"We have encouraged all members of health and social care teams who have an interest in improving the quality of life for people with a life-threatening illness to come along and join the conference," he said.

"We have a panel of nationally recognised speakers presenting papers focusing on how clinical services can respond to and enable patients and their families to determine their preferences towards the end of their lives.

"Delegates will benefit from the range of palliative care papers presented - from national initiatives impacting on care services to local responses - together with the opportunity to network with colleagues and professionals from different areas."

The conference will be chaired in the morning by Dr Sheila Popert, Consultant in Palliative Care Medicine at St Richard's Hospice and the afternoon sessions by Candy Cooley, Palliative Care Development Manager for Worcestershire.