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Hear from leading voices

The 2026 Palliative Care Summit will feature a diverse line-up of Australian and international speakers bringing expertise across palliative care, health, ageing, technology, research and digital culture.

The Summit will be formally opened by The Hon Meredith Hammat, Minister for Health; Mental Health and Preventative Health.

Featured speakers include:

Gihan Perera (pictured)
Business futurist, conference speaker, AI researcher and author, exploring how people and organisations can thrive in a rapidly changing world.

Associate Professor Charlie Corke AM
Intensive care specialist and former President of the College of Intensive Care Medicine, with more than 30 years of clinical experience.

Professor Barbara Barbosa Neves
Internationally recognised researcher specialising in ageing, technology, loneliness, social isolation and digital inequalities in later life.

Emeritus Professor Jeff Hughes
Chief Scientific Officer at PainChek and former Head of the School of Pharmacy at Curtin University.

Dr Jenny Kidd
Researcher in digital heritage and digital culture at Cardiff University.

Dr Eva Nieto McAvoy
Lecturer and researcher in digital media and culture at King’s College London.

Learn more about our speakers in the full Summit program

Explore the program

The program will bring together keynote presentations, panel discussions and practical showcases exploring how technology and innovation are being applied across palliative care, health and aged care.

Topics being explored include:

  • AI and the future of palliative care – considering how emerging technologies may influence care, decision-making and clinical practice.
  • Advance care planning and serious illness conversations – exploring the potential role of AI and technology in supporting important conversations.
  • Technology and pain assessment – examining how digital tools can support the assessment and management of pain.
  • Digital legacy and a good digital death – considering what happens to our digital lives, identities and memories at the end of life.
  • Technology, loneliness and ageing – exploring the relationship between technology, social connection and the experience of ageing.
  • Ethics and compassionate care – asking how we can ensure innovation strengthens human connection rather than replacing it.
  • Innovation in practice – showcasing examples of research, technology and new approaches being developed and used across Western Australia.

WA innovation in practice

The afternoon program will showcase a range of Western Australian projects and initiatives exploring new approaches to palliative care, health and aged care.

Presentations will explore areas including mortality prediction, communicating risk in community palliative care, digital tools supporting care and emerging approaches to children’s hospice care.

Further details will be added as these sessions are confirmed.

Download the full Summit program here

Register for the 2026 Palliative Care Summit