Greendale House Palliative and Hospice Care (previously HospiceWits) is proud to introduce our Third Palliative Care Symposium on Saturday 6 September 2025 entitled “Back to basics – Exploring the Roots of Palliative Care”. The Symposium will once again be held at the Netcare Auditorium Head Office in Sandton. Netcare have very generously donated their facility to us and the Symposium has become an annual event in our calendar; a way of bringing like-minded people together, encouraging ongoing discussion around palliative care and advertising ourselves to the health care community.

Palliative care is gaining momentum worldwide and the need for quality care is growing.  This Symposium aims to focus on the ongoing growth and development of palliative care to include the palliative needs of patients with chronic diseases rather than the more traditional view of Hospice, which is often perceived as end-of-life-care alone. The aim of this year’s Symposium is to reconnect with the core principles of palliative care to ensure compassionate patient-centred care in every setting. The Symposium will draw attention towards advanced and chronic illness and the need for excellent palliative care in patients who suffer from these conditions.

The Symposium has a varied and interesting programme planned that promises to be a stimulating day for all those interested in the growing field of palliative care. The talks range from basic principles of palliative care such as pain, symptom control and emergency management in palliative care, as well as presentations on end stage respiratory disease by Professor Michelle Wong from Baragwanath Hospital and Parkinsons Disease by Professor Lara Greenstein from Helen Joseph Hospital. We have the inimitable Dr Brad Beira presenting an ongoing ethical discussion and Dr Penny Mathe will discuss silent grief.

There is a presentation on the physical needs of palliative patients from a physiotherapy point of view and the Symposium ends with an existential discussion on caring for the soul given by Mr Cameron Hogg

We look forward to welcoming as many people as possible to this annual event and look forward to furthering knowledge about palliative care.