Dr David JeffreyClinician

Biography

Dr David Jeffrey is Ethics & Law Subject Lead at the Three Counties Medical School, University of Worcester, and holds an honorary lectureship in Palliative Medicine at the University of Edinburgh. After 18 years in general practice he became a palliative care consultant at the 3 Counties Cancer Centre, Cheltenham General Hospital, and previously held an honorary senior lectureship in Palliative Medicine at the University of Bristol. Following retirement from clinical commitments he served as Academic Mentor at Dundee Medical School, and has since undertaken qualitative research into medical students' empathy. He is known for his opposition to physician-assisted suicide, authoring 'Against Physician Assisted Suicide: A Palliative Care Perspective' (CRC Press, 2008), and for research into ethical issues in end-of-life care. His research interests also include the assisted dying debate and incorporating medical humanities into teaching.

References

1. 1.Dr David Jeffrey – University of Worcester staff profile — Current role as Ethics & Law Subject Lead at Three Counties Medical School; career history in general practice, palliative care consultancy and academic mentoring; qualifications; research and teaching interests including assisted dying debate and medical empathy
2. 2.SPPC Blog – Scottish Partnership for Palliative Care — Identifies Dr David Jeffrey as Honorary Lecturer in Palliative Medicine, University of Edinburgh, and co-author of 'Enhancing Compassion in End-of-Life Care Through Drama'
3. 3.Palliative Care in the Home – Oxford University Press — Prior role as Macmillan Lead Palliative Care Consultant, 3 Counties Cancer Centre, Cheltenham General Hospital, and Honorary Senior Lecturer in Palliative Medicine, University of Bristol
4. 4.Palliative medics: still no to AS – Care Not Killing — Press engagement: letter in The Times identifying Dr Jeffrey as Honorary Lecturer in Palliative Medicine, University of Edinburgh, opposing legalisation of assisted suicide

Expertise

Cited on

• Hospital discharge / bed-blocking

Stated areas of expertise

• End-of-life care ethics
• Physician-assisted suicide / assisted dying debate
• Palliative care education
• Medical empathy
• Medical humanities

Notable achievements

• Co-authored 'Against Physician Assisted Suicide: A Palliative Care Perspective' (CRC Press, 2008), setting out the palliative care case against legalising physician-assisted suicide in the UK. Source ↗
• Edited 'Teaching Palliative Care' (Radcliffe Press, 2002) and led the Palliative Care Education Group Gloucestershire. Source ↗
• Co-authored 'Palliative Care in the Home' (Oxford University Press) with Derek Doyle, while serving as Macmillan Lead Palliative Care Consultant at Cheltenham General Hospital and Honorary Senior Lecturer at the University of Bristol. Source ↗
• Quoted in The Times (published via Care Not Killing) as a leading palliative medicine voice opposing legalisation of assisted suicide. Source ↗

What they’ve said

• “Research shows that one's chance of being able to die at home is related to the number of times GPs carry out home visits in the terminal stages of a patient's illness.”

  Retired palliative care consultant · Hospital discharge / bed-blocking · 27 Aug 2026 · Palliative care and choice must be at the heart of the assisted dying debate | Letters ↗

Source references

1. Palliative care and choice must be at the heart of the assisted dying debate | Letterstheguardian.com · 27 Aug 2026

Contact & links

• Staff pagehttps://www.worc.ac.uk/about/profiles/david-jeffrey

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