Palliative Care Week 2026 will take place on Sunday, 6- Saturday, 12 September. The campaign theme of 2026 is ‘It’s Not What You Think.’

Palliative Care Week is a campaign dedicated to raising public awareness and increasing understanding of palliative care and its benefits. Its primary audience includes those who could benefit from palliative care, health and social care professionals, the wider public, and communities across the island of Ireland. AIIHPC celebrated the 12th anniversary of the campaign in 2025, having led and coordinated the annual campaign since 2014.

Why Palliative Care Week ?

  • Misunderstanding about palliative care persists, meaning some people who could benefit are less willing to seek it, potentially missing out on improved quality of life
  • It comes under the broad understanding of public health approaches to palliative care
  • It is in line with key palliative care policies across the island of Ireland

Help Support Palliative Care Week 2026

You can help support Palliative Care Week by hosting an event or activity in your workplace or community. This year’s theme offers a flexible and inspiring foundation for you and your colleagues to create something meaningful together.

Why not consider one of the following ideas?

  • Host an education or refresher session for staff, focusing on an aspect of palliative care that feels most relevant to your team
  • Set up an information stand in your workplace foyer to engage both visitors and staff
  • Create a podcast to share insights, conversations, and lived experiences
  • Organise a conference or event for healthcare professionals or the wider public
  • Help raise awareness through media and social media by sharing stories, experiences, or taking part in media opportunities

 

We would love to support your efforts, big or small.

If you are planning to host an event during the week, want to receive promotional materials or want to learn more about how you can participate, get in touch: David Kavanagh, dkavanagh@aiihpc.org or Yvonne McCahill, ymccahill@aiihpc.org. To learn about previous campaigns, you can read the reports here: Past Awareness Campaigns

What do you know about palliative care? Test your knowledge by choosing true or false for the following statements.