11 years of making a difference: PATCH's impact in palliative care
Since its founding, PATCH (Palliation and the Caring Hospital) has established itself as a uniquely focused force in Scottish healthcare — the only charity specifically dedicated to improving 24/7 specialist palliative care for patients in hospital.
Over the past 11 years, PATCH has funded nearly 240 nurses through individual and group courses, postgraduate certificates, diplomas, and masters degrees, helping to build a more skilled and compassionate workforce across Scotland.
Education and Training
PATCH has backed a wide range of educational initiatives. In 2024–25 alone, the charity supported three palliative care group courses delivered by NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, reaching 180 staff members, as well as an Inspiring Leadership course attended by 41 professionals from across Scotland. A communication course for final-year medical students, originally funded by PATCH in 2018, is now embedded in the core curriculum at Dundee University — with over 1,000 students having participated to date.
Most recently, PATCH partnered with Queen Margaret University and Queens Care Home in Kelso to launch a new micro-credential course focused on end-of-life care for dementia patients in care homes, with the first cohort beginning in October 2025.
Research
PATCH has seeded important research that has grown into major national projects. A starter grant to GP researcher Dr Sarah Mills at the University of St Andrews helped lay the groundwork for a £1 million CSO grant awarded in 2024, aimed at improving unscheduled care and reducing pain and distress for patients in the final year of life. The charity has also funded research into the limits of treatment in acute hospitals, and supported the early development of the SPOT (Safer Prescribing of Opioids Tool) digital app.
Community and Support
Beyond clinical training, PATCH has worked to support patients and their families directly — funding five relatives' beds at Kelso Community Hospital and Adamson Hospital in Fife, allowing loved ones to stay overnight during a patient's final days.
The charity also established the Dundas Medal in 2017, jointly with the Royal College of Surgeons Edinburgh, to recognise excellence in palliative care across England, Scotland, and Wales.
Looking Ahead
From grassroots fundraising to national research grants, PATCH continues to build partnerships across health, education, and the community — driven by a simple but powerful aim: that high-quality palliative and end-of-life care should be available whenever and wherever it is needed.