HRH The Princess Royal opens the Cicely Saunders Institute

On 5 May 2010, HRH The Princess Royal, Chancellor of the University of London, officially opened the Cicely Saunders Institute of Palliative Care, based on the Denmark Hill Campus of King's College London (KCL).   The creation of the Institute has been a key objective of Cicely Saunders International and by combining forces with KCL, it has now created a centre of excellence which will improve the way in which care is given to the dying.  The Cicely Saunders Institute will bring together, for the first time in one building, clinicians, educators and researchers in palliative care, together with facilities for patients and carers.

The Princess Royal was given a guided tour of the building and facilities by The Principal of King's College London, Professor Rick Trainor and Professor Irene Higginson, Scientific Director of Cicely Saunders International and Director of the Institute, and heard about the research that is being undertaken, as well as meeting staff, students, donors, patients and their carers.

At the end of the tour The Princess Royal unveiled a plaque and gave a short speech in which she praised the Institute which she said would be ‘much appreciated by many', and would  ‘have an important part to play in the future'. She said a huge degree of thanks was owed to those who had made the Institute possible and for what it would achieve in the future.

‘We will promote collaboration and integration of research, teaching, and clinical activities on a scale never before achieved. This will include user involvement to promote evidence-based practice, and research and teaching driven by the needs of patients, families and clinical concerns. ‘We will enhance palliative care worldwide and seek to influence the lives of an estimated one billion people within 10 years of opening. Our aim is to improve the way that dying people are cared for and make a decent quality of life attainable, even at the end of life. The next challenge is to deliver the vision that Dame Cicely Saunders set us in the Institute. The need for palliative care is growing in all countries, and far outstrips supply. We will be working with others to try and discover better treatments, better care, and better support for patients and families, and to spread the best in practice.'
Professor Irene Higginson explains the vision behind the Institute 

The Institute will facilitate closer cooperation between academics and clinicians in palliative care and related disciplines from a wide range of local, national and international organisations, ensuring academic developments in research and education directly translate to clinical care quickly to benefit patients and families. It will also provide opportunities to train healthcare professionals from the UK and overseas, thereby increasing the skill base and disseminating knowledge.

The Institute embraces the objectives and philosophy of palliative and hospice care and is named in honour of Dame Cicely Saunders.

‘Today, we are moving a step forward in the historic journey that Dame Cicely started over sixty years ago. Cicely is recognized the world over as the founder of the modern hospice movement. ... Our challenge is to ensure that we fulfil Cicely's mission which in her words is "to ensure that patients and families feel they matter, even at the end of life."'
John McGrath, Chairman of Cicely Saunders International

Philanthropic sources

The cost of the building, £10 million, has been raised mainly from philanthropic sources through the efforts of Cicely Saunders International and King's College London.  In welcoming the Princess Royal and guests to the opening of the Institute, Lord Douro, Chairman of King's College Council, thanked HRH for officially opening the building.  

‘Over ten million pounds has been raised almost entirely from philanthropic organisations. We are immensely grateful to all these who gave so generously to the appeal and we admire them for their support for this pioneering Institute.'
Lord Douro