I am delighted to be receiving this prestigious award. I have a vision of equitable end of life care for all and this drives forward both my clinical and academic work. I feel honoured that the clinical impact of my work has been recognised by the EAPC.
Dr Sabrina Bajwah, Clinical Senior Lecturer in Palliative Care and Honorary Consultant Palliative Medicine, King’s College NHS Foundation Trust
24 April 2024
Dr Sabrina Bajwah wins European Association for Palliative Care Clinical Impact Award 2024
The award is given to a clinician who has demonstrated excellence in promoting palliative care through clinical practice, public advocacy, policy or education
Dr Sabrina Bajwah has won the Clinical Impact Award in the European Association for Palliative Care (EAPC) Researcher Awards 2024.
The awards acknowledge individuals who have made significant contributions to research and clinical practice in palliative care, with the Clinical Impact Award given to a clinician demonstrating excellence in promoting palliative care.
Dr Sabrina Bajwah has worked as a Consultant in Palliative Medicine at King’s College Hospital for the last 10 years, returning to full-time clinical work during the Covid pandemic.
Dr Bajwah’s clinical work has raised awareness of the palliative care needs of respiratory patients. For example, at the height of the first wave of the pandemic, she led an international group of multi-disciplinary experts from across Europe to produce urgent evidence-based clinical palliative care guidance which underwent fast-track publication in the European Respiratory Journal. This improved evidence-based knowledge of palliative care and reduced patient suffering across Europe.
Her work to reduce patient suffering has led to important research into the needs of those from ethnically diverse groups, inspiring others to deliver equitable care and challenge structural racism. Dr Bajwah acknowledged the lack of information for vulnerable non-English speaking patients admitted to hospital during the first wave of the Covid pandemic. She worked with the European Lung Foundation and approached translation companies to produce translations of information factsheets for patients and families in 24 languages, within four weeks. These are now used routinely in clinical care nationally and internationally. The English factsheets have nearly 5,000 downloads, with other languages at nearly 8,000.
Her research has been influential in driving forward improvement in patient clinical care, both nationally and internationally; it has been cited in three National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) policies, UK Parliament health policy, German health policy and World Health Organisation policies.
Find out more about the EAPC Researcher Awards 2024.
In this story
Clinical Senior Lecturer and Honorary Consultant in Palliative Care