The Cicely Saunders Institute is the first purpose built institute for research into palliative care. We offer palliative care courses and other resources relevant to palliative care. Palliative care is the active total care of patients whose disease is not responsive to curative treatment. Palliative care provides an extra level of support for patients and their families whatever their diagnosis. The goal is the best possible quality of life for patients and their families, and includes control of pain and other symptoms, as well as attention to psychological, social and spiritual problems. The Institute brings together academics, healthcare professionals, community organisations, patients and carers in one centre and acts as the hub for a network of international research. It offers high quality palliative care solutions to patients, as well as providing education, patient information and support. The Cicely Saunders Institute of Palliative Care opened in May 2010, the result of a partnership between the King’s College London and the charity Cicely Saunders International. The Institute is home to a number of distinct groupings, both clinical and academic: Division of Palliative Care, Policy & Rehabilitation of King’s College London. Clinical palliative care team of King’s College Hospital NHS Trust. Healthcare professionals from King’s Health Partners, the UK’s leading Academic Health Sciences Centre, which brings together clinical practice and research from King’s College London and three NHS trusts (King’s College Hospital, Guy’s and St Thomas’ and South London and Maudsley). Macmillan patient support and information centre. The academic component of the Institute is King’s Department of Palliative Care, Policy & Rehabilitation. The Department benefits from a unique collaboration of palliative care and rehabilitation teams and is a multi-professional department comprising professors, researchers, education and support staff and as well as consultants.