Robert Twycross obituary

Doctor who transformed pain relief and emphasised the need for a holistic approach for patients in palliative careRobert Twycross, who has died aged 83, was a pioneering doctor in the field of palliative care. He helped build the specialty both in the UK and internationally, not only as a practitioner, but also as a teacher and author. His contribution to improving the care of the dying and those at the bedside is immense.Robert first met Dame Cicely Saunders, the founder of the modern hospice movement, while still a medical student in Oxford. Inspired by her work, he joined her at St Christopher’s hospice, in Sydenham, south-east London, as a research fellow in 1971. There, he began trials into the drugs being used to manage pain. Continue reading...