Background Remaining up-to-date is essential for those working in clinical settings (General Medical Council. Good medical practice. 2021; Nursing & Midwifery Council. Standards for competence for registered nurses. 2010). However, accessing formal teaching can be challenging in the post-graduate setting, alongside delivering patient care. There is limited literature covering postgraduate education in palliative care settings in the UK.

Aim(s) We aimed to develop a teaching programme for hospice staff that could be delivered virtually, to engage part-time workers. This initial phase of the project included medical staff only, with a view to expanding once the programme was formed and well established.

Methods This pilot programme comprised three elements. Firstly, a series of 20-30 minute Zoom sessions. The sessions provided summaries of key, evidence-based information on palliative care-related topics. In addition, an online platform, called a ‘Padlet’(https://padlet.com/), was used to create an online learning environment. The ‘Padlet’ included single-page summaries of teaching sessions, links to further learning opportunities, podcasts and conferences. Finally, the summaries were circulated via email. Sessions took place on alternate Mondays and Thursdays, to maximise attendance by part-time staff.

Results The sessions were positively received. Due to their brevity, the sessions could be incorporated into the working day easily. Zoom and ‘Padlet’ were both free platforms, which ensured that the programme was cost-neutral. Participants found the ‘Padlet’ useful and liked the single-page summaries. Challenges for the programme included: Monday being a particularly busy day clinically, and initial technical difficulties with Zoom.

Conclusions Overall this project demonstrates how teaching can be delivered in short episodes via a variety of online platforms, to engage both full-time and part-time staff. This has worked well and we are currently formally reviewing the programme to shape the next iteration of the programme. This will include inviting other members of the multidisciplinary and expanding the learning media used.