Projects per year
Personal profile
SUMMARY of research interests (100 words)
Nancy Preston is a Professor of Supportive and Palliative Care. She is the Co-Director of the International Observatory on End-of-Life Care at Lancaster University and Associate Dean for Research in the Faculty of Health and Mediicne.
My research focusses on palliative care and how best to integrate it into general healthcare systems including oncology and respiratory units, ICU, the community, hospices and care homes. I have been involved in seven European studies which focus upon service delivery, enhancing shared decision making and symptom management.
I am particularly interested in how peole make decisions at the end of life including advance care planning and assisted dying.
I am part of the NIHR/Department of Health Policy Research Unit for Palliative Care.
I use novel ways to disseminate research into practice including open access resources such as MOOCs.
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Current Research
ACTION A multi-centre cluster randomized controlled trial of of advanced care planning - an innovative Palliative care Intervention to Improve Quality of Life in Oncology (European Union FP7)
Insup-C Patient Centred integrated palliative care in advanced cancer and chronic disease (European Union FP7)
SUPPORTED: the development of an abdominal support binder for the management of ascites (Lancaster University Impact Award)
Cochrane Systematic review on Strategies to Improve Recruitment to Research Studies via Health Professionals
Cochrane Systematic Review on the Management of Pleural Effusion
Research Interests
Palliative care is still largely received by people with cancer. I am interested in how we integrate palliative care to other services to improve uptake of services and dissemination of the principles of palliative care in general care. Some European Studies I have been involved in explore this:
1. InSup-C - how is palliative care integrated
2. Pal-cycles - how can we improve integration of palliative care into cancer services
3. EU-COPD - how can we improve integration of palliative care into respiratory services for people with COPD
4. In-Touch - Improving care of people with advanced dementia in care homes
I am interested in how people make decisions at the end of life related to advance care planning, sedation and assisted dying.
Current Teaching
I am a Professor and Co-Director in the International Observatory on End of Life Care within the Faculty of Health and Medicine. I teach on the different Blended Learning PhDs on systematic reviews and co-edited a book specifically to guide post graduate students 2nd Edition Aveyard, H., Payne, S. A., & Preston, N. J. (2021). A post-graduate's guide to doing a literature review in health and social care. Oxford University Press. Also AveyardH, Preston N and FArquhar M (2022 How to reas and critique research: a guide for nurses and healthcare students SAGE. I coauthored the book Walshe C, Preston N& Johnston B (2018) Palliative Care Nursing: Prinicples for Evidence for Practice. I have a number of PhD students through the PhD in Palliative Care blended learning course plus traditional PhD students too.
Additional Information
I am the Associate Dean for Research in the Faculty of Health and Medicine.
I am part of the NIHR/Department for Health and Social Care Policy Research Unit for Palliative Care.
My interest in assisted dying has led to presenting evidence to committees in the British and Irish Parliaments as well as various media outlets.
I am a section editor for BMC Palliative Care and reviewer for a large number of journals.
External positions
Section Editor BMC Palliative Care, BMC Palliative Care
2015 → …
Keywords
- Supportive and end of life care
- advance care planning
Collaborations and top research areas from the last five years
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Research Collaboration with Sue Ryder
Preston, N. (Principal Investigator)
1/01/25 → 31/03/28
Project: Research
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Decolonising palliative care: exploring British Muslims perspectives on End-of-Life Care in the UK, a qualitative study 2024-2027.
Salifu, Y. (Funding Applicant), Nawaz, S. (PhD Student), Ahmed, F. (Other) & Preston, N. (Other)
4/10/24 → 30/09/27
Project: Research
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NIHR Policy Research Unit for Palliative and End of Life Care
Preston, N. (Co-Investigator) & Walshe, C. (Principal Investigator)
1/01/24 → 31/12/26
Project: Research
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Horizon Europe: Stepped wedge trial of a palliative care intervention for patients with COPD
Preston, N. (Principal Investigator), Walshe, C. (Co-Investigator) & Walshe, C. (Co-Investigator)
1/01/24 → 31/12/28
Project: Research
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Horizon Europe: Pal-CYCLES: PALliative Care Yields Cancer welLbEing Support
Payne, S. (Co-Investigator), Preston, N. (Principal Investigator), Payne, S. (Co-Investigator) & French, M. (Co-Investigator)
1/09/22 → 31/08/27
Project: Research
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Adapting a palliative care intervention for people with advanced cancer across seven European countries: the Pal-Cycles intervention
Hooley, R., Payne, S., Brunsch, H., Surges, S. M., Mosoiu, D., Hurducas, F., Hernández-Marrero, P., Pereira, S. M., Csikós, Á., Pozsgai, É., Leppert, W., Forycka-Ast, M., van den Brand, P., Hasselaar, J. & Preston, N., 31/12/2026, In: BMC Palliative Care. 25, 1, 181.Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review
Open AccessFile3 Downloads (Pure) -
ANALYSIS OF DRAFT ASSISTED DYING (JERSEY) LAW (P.65/2025)
Ost, S., Preston, N. & Mullock, A., 14/01/2026Research output: Book/Report/Proceedings › Commissioned report
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Beyond Legalisation: The Overlooked Challenges of Implementing Assisted Dying in the UK
Ost, S. & Preston, N., 2/03/2026Research output: Exhibits, objects and web-based outputs › Blog › peer-review
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Evaluating the impact of NHS strikes on patient flow through emergency departments
Garner, A., Ashcroft, Q., Kirkwood, D. W., Chandrabalan, V., Emsley, H., Mason, S. M., Preston, N. & Knight, J., 31/03/2026, In: Emergency Medicine Journal. 43, 3, p. 151-157 7 p.Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review
Open AccessFile6 Downloads (Pure) -
Improving palliative care for babies, children, young people and adults from ethnically diverse communities: a qualitative multiple case study
Dunleavy, L., Gould, S., Clarke, G., Cotterell, N., Bajwah, S., Evans, C., Fraser, L., Mitchell, S., Preston, N. & Walshe, C., 2/07/2026, medRxiv.Research output: Working paper › Preprint
Open Access
Activities
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Key Aspects of the Jersey Assisted Dying Law
Ost, S. (Speaker) & Preston, N. (Speaker)
24/09/2026Activity: Talk or presentation types › Oral presentation
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Harrogate Medical Society Tripartite Meeting (Medics Lawyers and Clergy)
Ost, S. (Speaker) & Preston, N. (Speaker)
24/06/2026Activity: Participating in or organising an event types › Other
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EAPC 2026- International Observatory on End of Life Care (IOELC) Exhibition
Walshe, C. (Organiser), Preston, N. (Speaker), Salifu, Y. (Speaker), French, M. (Speaker), Gadoud, A. (Speaker), Payne, S. (Speaker), Greenwood, A. (Speaker), Salvi, S. (Speaker), Karadag Akkaya, D. (Speaker) & Nwosu, A. (Speaker)
14/05/2026 → 16/05/2026Activity: Other activity types › Types of Public engagement and outreach - Festival/Exhibition
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Preston and Ost Policy Brief, Terminally Ill Adults (end of life) Bill for the House of Commons Oct 2024
Ost, S. (Consultant) & Preston, N. (Consultant)
3/10/2025Activity: Expert Knowledge and Consultancy types › Expert Opinion
File -
Assisted Dying: International Evidence and Policy and Ethical Implications for whether it can be integrated into the NHS
Ost, S. (Keynote speaker) & Preston, N. (Keynote speaker)
11/09/2025Activity: Talk or presentation types › Oral presentation
Prizes
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Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences
Preston, N. (Recipient), 1/04/2025
Prize: Election to learned society
Press/Media
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Five Live interview on the passage of the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill
20/06/25
1 item of Media coverage
Press/Media: Other
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MPs may have passed the assisted dying bill, but the debate is just beginning
20/06/25
1 Media contribution
Press/Media: Newspaper Article
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Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill - comment on ITV News at Ten
19/06/25
2 items of Media coverage
Press/Media: TV Interview/Appearance
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BMJ Opinion piece: 'The assisted dying bill continues through UK parliament, with legal momentum but also lingering questions'
13/06/25
1 Media contribution
Press/Media: Expert Opinion
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Assisted dying: five questions that need answering before it can work in practice
16/05/25
1 Media contribution
Press/Media: Newspaper Article
Impacts
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'Drop in' and Q&A on international research on Assisted Dying for MPs & Peers in the UK parliament
Preston, N. J. (Participant), Ost, S. (Participant), Payne, S. A. (Participant) & Hughes, S. (Participant)
Impact
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Gave evidence to the Joint Committee on Assisted Dying for the Irish Parliament
Preston, N. J. (Participant)
Impact: Political Impacts
Datasets
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Facilitating equitable access to hospice care in socially deprived areas: A mixed methods multiple case study
French, M. (Creator), Keegan, T. (Creator) & Preston, N. (Creator), SAGE Journals, 2022
DOI: 10.25384/sage.c.6301827, https://sage.figshare.com/collections/Facilitating_equitable_access_to_hospice_care_in_socially_deprived_areas_A_mixed_methods_multiple_case_study/6301827
Dataset
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Healthcare use and healthcare costs for patients with advanced cancer; the international ACTION cluster-randomised trial on advance care planning
Korfage, I. J. (Creator), Polinder, S. (Creator), Preston, N. (Creator), van Delden, J. J. (Creator), Geraerds, S. (. (Creator), Dunleavy, L. (Creator), Faes, K. (Creator), Miccinesi, G. (Creator), Carreras, G. (Creator), Moeller Arnfeldt, C. (Creator), Kars, M. C. (Creator), Lippi, G. (Creator), Lunder, U. (Creator), Mateus, C. (Creator), Pollock, K. (Creator), Deliens, L. (Creator), Groenvold, M. (Creator), van der Heide, A. (Creator) & Rietjens, J. A. (Creator), SAGE Journals, 2022
DOI: 10.25384/sage.c.6345976, https://sage.figshare.com/collections/Healthcare_use_and_healthcare_costs_for_patients_with_advanced_cancer_the_international_ACTION_cluster-randomised_trial_on_advance_care_planning/6345976
Dataset
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The experiences of patients with advanced heart failure, family carers, and health professionals with palliative care services: a secondary reflexive thematic analysis of longitudinal interview data
Remawi, B. N. (Creator), Gadoud, A. (Creator) & Preston, N. (Creator), Figshare, 2023
DOI: 10.6084/m9.figshare.c.6783087, https://springernature.figshare.com/collections/The_experiences_of_patients_with_advanced_heart_failure_family_carers_and_health_professionals_with_palliative_care_services_a_secondary_reflexive_thematic_analysis_of_longitudinal_interview_data/6783087 and one more link, https://springernature.figshare.com/collections/The_experiences_of_patients_with_advanced_heart_failure_family_carers_and_health_professionals_with_palliative_care_services_a_secondary_reflexive_thematic_analysis_of_longitudinal_interview_data/6783087/1 (show fewer)
Dataset
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Implementing and evaluating online advance care planning training in UK nursing homes during COVID-19: findings from the Necessary Discussions multi-site case study project
Cousins, E. (Creator), Preston, N. (Creator), Doherty, J. (Creator), Varey, S. (Creator), Harding, A. (Creator), McCann, A. (Creator), Harrison Dening, K. (Creator), Finucane, A. (Creator), Carter, G. (Creator), Mitchell, G. (Creator) & Brazil, K. (Creator), Figshare, 2022
DOI: 10.6084/m9.figshare.c.5995829, https://springernature.figshare.com/collections/Implementing_and_evaluating_online_advance_care_planning_training_in_UK_nursing_homes_during_COVID-19_findings_from_the_Necessary_Discussions_multi-site_case_study_project/5995829
Dataset
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Adaptation and multicentre validation of a patient-centred outcome scale for people severely ill with COVID (IPOS-COV)
Hocaoglu, M. B. (Creator), Murtagh, F. E. M. (Creator), Walshe, C. (Creator), Chambers, R. L. (Creator), Maddocks, M. (Creator), Sleeman, K. E. (Creator), Oluyase, A. O. (Creator), Dunleavy, L. (Creator), Bradshaw, A. (Creator), Bajwah, S. (Creator), Fraser, L. K. (Creator), Preston, N. (Creator) & Higginson, I. J. (Creator), Figshare, 2023
DOI: 10.6084/m9.figshare.c.6591400.v1, https://springernature.figshare.com/collections/Adaptation_and_multicentre_validation_of_a_patient-centred_outcome_scale_for_people_severely_ill_with_COVID_IPOS-COV_/6591400/1
Dataset