Dr Richard Scheffer

Richard read social science, qualified as a social worker and taught at a university in South Africa before reading medicine at the University of Cape Town. He was a consultant in palliative medicine and medical director of a hospice in the UK for 20 years until his retirement in 2007. He served as chairman of a regional Palliative Care Network and represented his area on the National Council of Palliative Care for a number of years. He was a member of the working group for the development of the Department of Health End-of-Life-Care strategy.

He has always had an interest in the promotion of palliative care in developing countries, especially in Africa, and has served on the UK Forum for Hospice and Palliative Care Worldwide, set up by Help the Hospices, and chaired the Advocacy Committee. He would like to see high quality palliative care available for all at the end of life as well as assisted dying being legally available for those who choose it.