Beijing palliative care training expands as Singapore steps in

Programme to train over 1,000 healthcare professionals

Lien Foundation and Tan Tock Seng Hospital (TTSH) have launched a three-year palliative care programme in Beijing that is expected to train more than 1,000 Chinese healthcare professionals and strengthen service delivery across at least eight institutions in the Chinese capital, according to a released.

The initiative, known as Lien Collaborative for Palliative Care (Beijing), brings together expertise from Singapore and China to build clinical capability, develop future palliative care leaders, and support longer-term policy and ecosystem reform. 

The programme aligns with national efforts in China to expand palliative care by addressing gaps such as shortages of trained specialists and limited public awareness.

Training will be delivered through online teaching modules for doctors, nurses and medical social workers, alongside biannual onsite Train-the-Trainer workshops. 

Fortnightly online complex case conferences will also be held to share clinical learning between participating institutions.

Selected doctors in China will take part in a four-week clinical observership in Singapore, where they will receive training and exposure to the local palliative care ecosystem. The collaboration also includes joint development of treatment protocols and practice guidelines adapted for use in China.

Public-facing advocacy videos form another component of the programme, aimed at supporting end-of-life conversations between clinicians, patients and their families. The initiative is expected to enhance palliative care delivery across participating institutions during its initial three-year term.

Participating institutions in Beijing include Peking Union Medical College Hospital, which has an established palliative care unit, Beijing Haidian Hospital with a dedicated palliative care ward, and a non-governmental charity organisation that supports training and integration of medical social workers within hospitals.

Through the initiative, Singaporean doctors will also learn from Chinese practitioners about the use of Traditional Chinese Medicine and humanistic care models in end-of-life treatment, according to the factsheet.