Gain your European Certificate in Essential Palliative Care (ECEPC) with St Clare Hospice
About the ECEPC course
The majority of healthcare professionals working in hospitals and the community look after patients with palliative care needs on a regular basis.
The highly-respected European Certificate in Essential Palliative Care (ECEPC) is aimed at helping professionals consolidate and develop their palliative care confidence and expertise. The course is designed to meet the needs of healthcare professionals new to specialist palliative care services who wish to establish a strong foundation of knowledge on which to build specialist knowledge and skills.
The course was developed at Princess Alice Hospice in 2001. It is now offered at a range of host sites both nationally and internationally – including St Clare Hospice.
The ECEPC is an intensive eight-week self-directed course that requires approximately 50 hours of study. This includes the successful completion of a portfolio and VIVA assessment to pass the course. The qualification assesses candidates on a range of palliative care topics, including symptom issues, emergency conditions, the last 48 hours of life, difficult conversations, bereavement and common ethical issues.
All candidates are provided with an extensive course workbook and access to a comprehensive virtual learning site. All candidates are assigned a facilitator to support them through the course. The culmination of the course is the assessment day, which is mandatory for all candidates across the sites. It is therefore essential you are available for the assessment day, so please consider this before signing up for the ECEPC course.
Staff working in hospices in the UK can apply to the Wolfson Foundation (via Hospice UK) to cover part of the cost of this programme.
ECEPC Course Dates for 2026 –
Spring 2026
Registration for the Spring 2026 ECEPC course is now open.
13th April 2026 – Course launch event and meet facilitators
- Time: 6pm
- Venue: Online via Teams
17th June 2026 – Remote assessment day (Mandatory attendance)
- Time: 9.30am – 2pm (latest)
- Venue: Online via Teams
Registering for the ECEPC with St Clare
To register for the Spring 2026 course, click here to complete the online registration form and select ‘St Clare Hospice, Essex’ as your chosen site.
For more information on taking part in the ECEPC , get in touch with our course administrator by email at ecepc@stclarehospice.org.uk. Or download the Course information leaflet.
Frequently Asked Questions – ECEPC
‘Who can apply for the course?’
The ECEPC course is open to registered healthcare professionals from any discipline that provides palliative care. Doctors, nurses, nursing associates, paramedics, pharmacists, physiotherapists, occupational therapists and speech & language therapists from primary, secondary and tertiary settings are all eligible to apply for the course.
‘What it will cover?’
The course is a eight-week, home-based course with a multi-professional programme. The culmination of the course is an assessment day, which is mandatory for all candidates. The programme will be covering:
- What is palliative care and who is it for?
- Patients with emergency conditions
- Breaking bad news to patients and families
- Common ethical issues
- Symptom issues in palliative care
- Patients in the last 48 hours of life
- Bereavement and support
‘What will I receive?’
- An extensive course workbook
- Access to a comprehensive virtual learning site
- An assigned facilitator to support you through the course
‘How can I pay for the course?’
The cost of the course is £600 per candidate (TBC). Once you have completed your application form, we will contact you to arrange payment by invoice. Candidates, or their organisation, can then arrange payment via credit card, purchase order or BACs payment.
‘I work in a hospice. Can I receive support with funding for an ECEPC course?’
Staff working in hospices in the UK can apply to the Wolfson Foundation (via Hospice UK) to cover part of the cost of this programme. For information on applying for funding visit: hospiceuk.org/professionals/grants/wolfson-bursaries-hospice-staff
‘What else do I need to know?’
As this is an intense course over an eight-week period, it is recommended that candidates avoid long holidays or other commitments during the course dates. Candidates must ensure they are available to attend the assessment day before registering for the course.
‘What happens if I need to withdraw or defer the course?’
If a candidate wishes to withdraw from the course before the launch, the candidate will receive a refund of the course cost, less a £50 administration charge. All course materials (including the handbook) must be returned.
If a candidate wishes to withdraw after the course launch, the candidate will not receive a refund of the course fees.
If a candidate wishes to defer to the next course after the course launch, there is a discretionary charge of £200 payable to St Clare. Candidates will then recommence the course from the next cohort.
For more information, click here.
‘Who are the facilitators for St Clare Hospice’s ECEPC programme?’
Course Co-ordinator and Facilitator: Dr Jonathan Riordan (Consultant)
Course Co-ordinator and Facilitator: Trevor Farrington (Nurse Consultant)