Felicia Cox, FRCN, MSc, RN (1965–2026)
We remember Felicia 'Flick' Cox, a much-loved colleague and a leading voice in pain nursing whose contribution to the pain community has had a lasting impact.
This page brings together the links to tributes, memories and reflections on Felicia’s life and work, including published obituaries and the opportunity to share your own memory on her online memorial wall.
Leave a comment or memory on the online memorial wall
Obituary in the British Journal of Pain, Mr Tim Atkinson
Obituary in Pain News, Mrs Gillian Chumbley
The Pain Relief Foundation 25th Annual Lecture 2026
"Supporting people to live well and die well with chronic pain", Professor Candy McCabe PhD RGN
Date: 22 October 2026
Time: 18:00 - 19:30, Refreshments will be served from 17.30
The lecture is free to attend, but admission is by ticket only
In person (Clinical Sciences Centre, University Hospital Aintree, Liverpool) or virtual
Register now
Professor Candy McCabe is Head of Education and Research at Dorothy House Hospice, Winsley, and Professor Emerita at the University of the West of England, Bristol.
A registered nurse trained at St Thomas' Hospital, Professor McCabe has worked as a clinical academic for nearly 30 years in rheumatology and chronic pain. Her work focuses on improving quality of life for people living with life-limiting conditions.
Her PhD from the University of Bath, focused on chronic unexplained pain, informed national and international guidelines. She helped establish national rehabilitation centres for Complex Regional Pain Syndrome and complex cancer late effects and now co-leads the NIHR Supported Incubator for Palliative and End of Life Care.
About the Pain Reflief Foundation Lecture
The Pain Relief Foundation Annual Lecture is a series of lectures celebrating people who have made an outstanding contribution to the treatment and study of chronic pain.
The 25th Annual Lecture will honour the life and work of Felicia Cox, FRCN, MSc, RN, recognising her exceptional contribution to pain management, nursing, education, research and professional leadership.
The meeting will be chaired by Professor Michelle Briggs and Professor Roger Knaggs.
A short appreciation will be given by Dr Gillian Chumbley, who recently retired from the NHS after 48 years, including 33 years working in pain management, primarily at Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust.
Gillian continues to work with national and international pain organisations, contributing to guidelines, book chapters and peer-reviewed articles. She is also a member of the organising committee for the National Acute Pain Symposium (NAPS). In 2025, she was awarded an OBE for Services to Nursing.
In memory of Felicia Cox
Felicia Cox worked in pain management from 1997 and was Nurse Consultant and Head of Pain Services at Royal Brompton & Harefield NHS Foundation Trust, as well as Nursing Research Lead for the Trust.
She made an outstanding contribution to pain management nationally and internationally. She chaired the Royal College of Nursing Pain and Palliative Care Forum and the London Pain Interest Group, served as a co-opted member of the Council of the British Pain Society and chaired its Acute Pain Special Interest Group. Internationally, she was a member of the European Pain Federation research group and Secretary of the International Association for the Study of Pain's Acute Pain Special Interest Group.
Felicia was also an influential editor, author and educator. She edited the Journal of Perioperative Practice until 2009 and subsequently served as Editor of the British Journal of Pain for more than a decade. She published widely, including in The Daily Telegraph and The Lancet, and her book Perioperative Pain Management became required reading for many postgraduate pain courses. She also co-authored e-learning modules on pain and medicines safety and was passionate about supporting novice authors and developing nurses' presentation skills.
Her contribution was recognised with Honorary Membership of the British Pain Society in 2015 and Fellowship of the Royal College of Nursing in 2017. In 2025, she was awarded the British Pain Society Medal of Distinction, one of only five recipients in its almost 60-year history and the only nurse to have received the award.