Professor Stephen Barclay

Stephen is one of our Director of Studies in Clinical Medicine. In the University, he is Professor of Palliative Care. He works clinically as a General Practitioner and as Honorary Consultant Physician in Palliative Medicine. He is a Bye–Fellow and Co–Director of Studies for Clinical Medicine at Emmanuel with Dr Juliet Usher–Smith.

Biography

His 2005 MD thesis from the University of Cambridge “General Practitioner provision of Palliative Care in the United Kingdom” was awarded the Clinical School Ralph Noble prize. He was appointed as University Lecturer in General Practice and Palliative Care in the Department of Public Health and Primary Care in 2011 and was appointed Professor of Palliative Care in 2021.

He leads a research group that focuses on Palliative and End of Life Care in Primary Care, with a particular interest in General Practitioner and District Nurse provision of care, end of life care conversations in cancer and non-cancer illness, decision-making concerning treatment cessation in advanced disease and medical student education in Palliative Care. Over recent years he has overseen considerable expansion of the curricular time allocated to Palliative Care in the Clinical School: the area is now also regularly examined in Finals exams. He co-leads the Undergraduate Education Forum of the Association for Palliative Medicine and led the 2025 revision of the national curriculum for medical student teaching in Palliative Care.