{{Short description|British-German palliative care doctor and campaigner}} {{Infobox person | name = Mark Taubert | honorific_suffix = [[Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians|FRCP]] [[FRCGP]] [[Learned Society of Wales|FLSW]] | image = ProfMarkTaubert.jpg | caption = | birth_place = Hessen, Germany | alma_mater = University of Dundee | occupation = Consultant Physician | known_for = TEDx Talk "[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nZc5EP39dEU Why language matters when you are dying]" | notable_works = Talk CPR Learning and Education Resources "[https://www.TalkCPR.wales TalkCPR]" | website = Cardiff University Staff Profiles "[https://profiles.cardiff.ac.uk/honorary/taubertm Prof Mark Taubert]" }} '''Mark Taubert''' is a German-British [[Consultant (medicine)|consultant]] doctor and professor of medicine at [[Cardiff University]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=2020 |title=Prof. Mark Taubert Cardiff University School of Medicine Staff Profile |url=https://profiles.cardiff.ac.uk/honorary/taubertm |access-date=2022-01-05 |website=Cardiff University School of Medicine Staff Profile Page}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|last=Taubert|first=Mark|date=2020-05-31|title=Coronavirus: Helping the bereaved with emotional PPE|work=BBC News|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-52833504|access-date=2022-01-13}}</ref> He is a palliative care [[physician]] in Wales, who according to the [[Western Mail (Wales)|Western Mail]]<ref>{{Cite news |last=Smith |first=Mark |date=8 October 2018 |title='I felt as if I had come to my homeland'- the doctors from overseas who are vital to Wales' National Health Service |pages=28 |work=Western Mail |url=https://www.pressreader.com/uk/western-mail/20181008/page/28 }}</ref> and [[Welsh Government]] website<ref>{{Cite web |last=Government |first=Wales |date=9 March 2023 |title=Dr Mark Taubert |url=https://www.gov.wales/st-david-awards/dr-mark-taubert}}</ref> has contributed significantly to the development of his specialty, and has received recognition as a doctor and campaigner, nationally and internationally.

He wrote to the late [[David Bowie]] in January 2016 about a conversation he held with a dying patient, a letter that was shared across the world.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Vincent |first=Alice |date=18 January 2016 |title='Thank you for Blackstar': Palliative care doctor writes open letter to David Bowie |work=The Telegraph Newspaper |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/music/news/thank-you-for-blackstar-palliative-care-doctor-writes-open-lette/}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Leopold |first=Todd |date=2016-01-08 |title=David Bowie's son shares powerful letter |work=CNN |publisher= |url=https://edition.cnn.com/2016/01/18/entertainment/david-bowie-son-letter-feat/index.html |access-date=28 December 2021}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=18 January 2016 |title=Bowie's son shares thank you from palliative care doctor |work=New Zealand Herald |url=https://www.nzherald.co.nz/entertainment/bowies-son-shares-thank-you-from-palliative-care-doctor/T7RY2RLBLZ2KPXWHJQ2Z3ICNSU/}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=18 January 2016 |title=Duncan Jones, il figlio di Bowie, rompe il silenzio con una toccante lettera |work=Rolling Stone Magazine Italy |url=https://www.rollingstone.it/musica/news-musica/duncan-jones-figlio-bowie-rompe-il-silenzio-toccante-lettera/296664/}}</ref>

He is founder of TalkCPR, an international information campaign about cardiopulmonary resuscitation and ''[[DNACPR|do not attempt cardiopulmonary resuscitation decisions]]''. He is national chair of the Advance & Future Care Strategy Group for the [[NHS Wales]] Executive.

== Media work ==

He has authored articles on medical topics and [[palliative care]] in international newspapers such as the [[The Washington Post|Washington Post]]<ref>{{Cite news |last=Taubert |first=Mark |date=11 January 2019 |title=What's the last song you want to hear before you die? |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/whats-the-last-song-you-would-want-to-hear-before-you-die/2019/01/11/0619909e-cf02-11e8-a3e6-44daa3d35ede_story.html |newspaper=The Washington Post}}</ref> and the [[The Guardian|Guardian]].<ref>{{Cite news |last=Taubert |first=Mark |date=3 February 2016 |title=This is not Casualty- In real life, CPR is brutal and usually fails |url=https://www.theguardian.com/healthcare-network/2016/feb/03/casualty-cpr-fails-cancer-doctors-let-patients-die |work=The Guardian Newspaper}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Taubert |first=Mark |date=19 June 2023 |title=I thought I should always be positive with my patients – until I found out how damaging that can be |url=https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2023/jun/19/positive-patients-damaging-upbeat-honesty |work=The Guardian Newspaper}}</ref> Taubert founded Talk CPR,<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Taubert |first1=Mark |last2=Norris |first2=James |last3=Edwards |first3=Sioned |last4=Snow |first4=Veronica |last5=Finlay |first5=Ilora Gillian |date=December 2018 |title=Talk CPR - a technology project to improve communication in do not attempt cardiopulmonary resuscitation decisions in palliative illness |journal=BMC Palliative Care |volume=17 |issue=1 |pages=118 |doi=10.1186/s12904-018-0370-9 |pmc=6195698 |pmid=30340632 |doi-access=free}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=2016-12-05 |title=Creating a sustainable, prudent & vibrant NHS- The TalkCPR project |url=https://www.pressreader.com/uk/western-mail/20161205/page/57 |access-date=2022-01-13 |work=Western Mail |pages=57–58}}</ref> an international information campaign that discusses ''do not attempt cardiopulmonary resuscitation decisions'', also known by the acronym [[DNACPR]]. His explanatory Talk CPR resources have been viewed over a million times worldwide,<ref>{{cite news |last=Hughes |first=Mary |date=2022-10-02 |title=Palliative care in the 'Kingdom in the sky': Lesotho |url=https://eapcnet.wordpress.com/2019/10/02/palliative-care-in-the-kingdom-in-the-sky-lesotho/ |access-date=2022-01-05 |work=European Association for Palliative Care |publisher=}}</ref> and he has been interviewed and spoken about the topic on [[BBC News at Six]] and [[BBC News at Ten|BBC News at 10]].

Taubert has delivered a TEDx [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nZc5EP39dEU talk] on the use of language in palliative care.<ref>{{Cite web |date=18 June 2017 |title=Why Language Matters When You Know You Are Dying |url=https://tedxcardiff.co.uk/2017/mark-taubert/ |access-date=4 January 2023 |website=TEDx |archive-date=4 January 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240104162056/https://tedxcardiff.co.uk/2017/mark-taubert/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> He has also featured on two palliative care themed recordings for the UK's BBC [[The Listening Project|Listening Project]] in 2019<ref>{{cite web |last=Glover |first=Fi |date=2019-11-08 |title=The Listening Project- Mark and Faye, Trainer and Trainee |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000b0ry |access-date=2022-01-05 |website=BBC Radio 4 - The Listening Project |publisher=BBC}}</ref> and 2020<ref>{{cite web |last=Glover |first=Fi |date=2020-03-08 |title=BBC Radio 4 Listening Project- Sunday Edition: Mark and Darren - Strangers in conversation |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m000g4xg |access-date=2022-01-04 |website=BBC Radio 4 |publisher=}}</ref> and on [[Horizon (British TV series)|BBC Horizon]]'s 'We need to talk about Death' with [[Kevin Fong]].<ref>{{Cite news |last=Hogan |first=Michael |date=23 January 2019 |title=Horizon: We need to talk about Death Review: Would better palliative care help us to die happier? |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/tv/2019/01/23/horizon-need-talk-death-review-would-better-palliative-care/ |work=Telegraph Newspaper}}</ref>

==Awards== He has won national and international awards for his teaching and clinical work, including a [[British Academy of Film and Television Arts|Bafta]] award as part of a care team featured in an ITV documentary.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2018-04-11 |title=ITV - Velindre, Hospital of Hope |url=https://www.itv.com/walesprogrammes/articles/velindre-hospital-of-hope-episode-4}}</ref> He received the prestigious national BMJ/BMA Clinical Teacher of the year award,<ref>{{Cite news |date=2017-04-10 |title=Leading Clinical teachers awarded for their work |url=https://www.pressreader.com/uk/western-mail/20170410/page/28 |access-date=2022-01-13 |work=Western Mail |page=28}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Velindre Doctor Wins Clinical Teaching Award |url=https://www.glamorgan-gem.co.uk/article.cfm?id=113153&headline=Velindre%20doctor%20wins%20clinical%20teaching%20award&sectionIs=news&searchyear=2017 |access-date=28 December 2021 |publisher=Glamorgan Gem |archive-date=28 December 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211228221132/https://www.glamorgan-gem.co.uk/article.cfm?id=113153&headline=Velindre%20doctor%20wins%20clinical%20teaching%20award&sectionIs=news&searchyear=2017 |url-status=dead }}</ref> the Best Trainer Award Wales 2016<ref>{{Cite news |last=Smith |first=Mark |date=2017-04-10 |title=Awards recognise our talented clinical teachers |url=https://www.pressreader.com/uk/south-wales-echo/20170410/page/25 |access-date=2022-01-13 |work=Echo Newspaper |page=25}}</ref> and the Royal College of Physicians Excellence in Patient Care Award.<ref>{{cite news |title=The last thing you want to talk about? CPR in palliative illness - EPCA Awards 2019 |url=https://www.rcplondon.ac.uk/news/last-thing-you-want-talk-about-cpr-palliative-illness-and-talkcpr-project |access-date=28 December 2021 |publisher=Royal College of Physicians}}</ref>

In 2014, he was elected to become a Fellow of the [[Learned Society of Wales]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=24 April 2024 |title=Prestigious fellowship for four Velindre colleagues |url=https://velindre.nhs.wales/news/latest-news/prestigious-fellowship-for-four-velindre-colleagues/ |access-date=24 April 2024 |website=Velindre University NHS Trust}}</ref>

== Open letter to David Bowie ==

In 2016, he published a thank you letter to [[David Bowie]] after the singer's death, with reference to Bowie's last album, ''[[Blackstar (album)|Blackstar]].''<ref>{{Cite news|date=January 2016|title=Un ejemplo para los cuidados paliativos|work=El Mundo Newspaper|url=https://www.elmundo.es/cultura/2016/01/18/569d4acd268e3e336a8b45e5.html|access-date=2022-01-05}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|last=Best|first=Chloe|date=2016|title=David Bowie's son returns to Twitter to share moving thank you letter from doctor|work=Hello Magazine|url=https://www.hellomagazine.com/celebrities/2016011829305/david-bowie-son-duncan-tweets-open-letter/|access-date=2022-01-20}}</ref> The letter was initially published in the [[The BMJ|British Medical Journal]]<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Taubert |first=Mark |date=2016 |title=Thank You Letter to David Bowie from a Palliative Care Doctor |url=https://spcare.bmj.com/content/6/4/500 |journal=BMJ Supportive & Palliative Care |volume=6 |issue=4 |pages=500–501 |doi=10.1136/bmjspcare-2016-001242 |pmid=27760747 |via=British Medical Journal |s2cid=2881997|url-access=subscription }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=McDermott |first=Maeve |date=19 January 2016 |title=David Bowie's son reveals poignant letter from doctor |url=https://eu.usatoday.com/story/life/music/2016/01/19/david-bowie-son-shares-open-letter-from-doctor/78996806/ |website=USA Today}}</ref> and then the Independent Newspaper<ref>{{Cite news |last=Taubert |first=Mark |date=22 January 2016 |title=David Bowie: NHS care doctor publishes tribute to the Starman |work=Independent Newspaper |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/david-bowie-nhs-care-doctor-publishes-tribute-to-the-starman-a6828521.html}}</ref> and was shared by David Bowie's son [[Duncan Jones]].<ref>{{Cite news |last=Powell |first=Emma |date=18 January 2016 |title=David Bowie's son breaks silence to post touching letter from doctor to his late father |work=Evening Standard |url=https://www.standard.co.uk/showbiz/celebrity-news/david-bowies-son-breaks-twitter-silence-to-post-touching-letter-from-doctor-to-his-late-father-a3158816.html}}</ref> It went viral online and in worldwide newsrooms.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2016 |title=David Bowie helped lift taboo on death |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-wales-35355619 |access-date=2022-01-05}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Andrea |first=Park |date=18 January 2016 |title=Duncan Jones shares doctor's letter to David Bowie |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/duncan-jones-shares-doctors-letter-to-david-bowie/ |website=CBS News}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=17 January 2016 |title=David Bowie's son returns to Twitter |work=Times of India |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/english/music/news/david-bowies-son-returns-to-twitter/articleshow/50622285.cms}}</ref> It was subsequently read out by actor [[Benedict Cumberbatch]]<ref>{{cite news |title=Benedict Cumberbatch read out a Welsh doctor's letter about dying |publisher=WalesOnline |url=https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/news-opinion/benedict-cumberbatch-read-out-welsh-11424522 |access-date=28 December 2021}}</ref> and singer [[Jarvis Cocker]]<ref>{{cite news |title=Watch Jarvis Cocker read a letter to David Bowie about end-of-life-care |publisher=Telegraph |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/music/artists/watch-jarvis-cocker-read-a-letter-to-david-bowie-we-wondered-whe/ |access-date=28 December 2021}}</ref> at public events. The letter addresses issues such as [[palliative care]] and planning for the [[End-of-life care|end of life]]. Bowie's story became a way to communicate important aspects of dying with a palliative care patient.<ref name="theguardian">{{Cite news |last=Rogers |first=Jude |date=2020-01-22 |title=Cremate me to the sound of Disco Inferno |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2020/jan/27/cremate-sound-disco-inferno-song-die-funerals-death |access-date=2022-04-01 |work=The Guardian}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Vincent |first=Alice |date=2016-01-18 |title="Thank you for Blackstar"- Palliative Care doctor writes open letter to Bowie |work=The Telegraph |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/music/news/thank-you-for-blackstar-palliative-care-doctor-writes-open-lette/ |access-date=2022-01-22}}</ref>

The letter was turned into a classical music string quartet composition for [[BBC Radio 3]], featuring Taubert reading the letter.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Uren |first=John |date=11 April 2017 |title=BBC Radio 3' Hear & Now- Kammerklang: John Uren's 'Her Own Dying Moments' - a thank you letter to David Bowie from palliative care doctor Mark Taubert |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p04zs6yb}}</ref><ref name="theguardian"/> It toured, premiering at the [[Royal Northern College of Music]]<ref>{{Cite web|date=2016-11-01|title=Decontamination #7 – Boulez/Bowie|url=https://www.rncm.ac.uk/decontamination-3/decontamination-concert-archive/|website=Royal Northern College of Music Concerts}}</ref> and the [[Royal Conservatoire of Scotland]]. According to the Herald Newspaper Scotland it 'sound tracked a reading of an open letter to David Bowie by palliative care doctor Mark Taubert, which has been a celebrated part of the marking of the passing of the rock star, played here on the fourth anniversary of his death.'<ref>{{Cite news |last=Bruce |first=Keith |date=12 January 2020 |title=Music: Aurea Quartet at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, Glasgow |work=The Herald Scotland Newspaper |url=https://www.heraldscotland.com/life_style/arts_ents/18155066.music-aurea-quartet-royal-conservatoire-scotland-glasgow/}}</ref>

The open letter has also been printed in several books, including [[Dylan Jones]]' David Bowie- A Life<ref>{{Cite book |last=Jones |first=Dylan |title=David Bowie - A Life |publisher=Crown Archetype |year=2017 |isbn=978-0451497833 |pages=498–501}}</ref> and Letters of Note - Music<ref>{{Cite book |last=Usher |first=Shaun |title=Letters of Note Music |publisher=Canongate |year=2020 |isbn=9781786895592 |pages=18–25}}</ref> by [[Shaun Usher]], part of the Letters Live event brand, where the letter was read out twice.

== External links == *Cardiff University [https://profiles.cardiff.ac.uk/honorary/taubertm Staff Profile Page] *Google Scholar [https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=Z124OQQAAAAJ&hl=en&oi=ao Publications] *News articles by and about Mark Taubert on [https://www.pressreader.com/search?query=%22Mark%20Taubert%22 Pressreader] *TalkCPR [https://talkcpr.wales/ Resources]

== References ==

<references /> *

{{DEFAULTSORT:Taubert, Mark}} [[Category:21st-century German medical doctors]] [[Category:Year of birth missing (living people)]] [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:NHS Wales]] [[Category:British palliative care doctors]] [[Category:21st-century Welsh medical doctors]] [[Category:Welsh medical researchers]] [[Category:Academics of Cardiff University]] [[Category:21st-century British medical doctors]] [[Category:Fellows of the Royal College of Physicians]] [[Category:Fellows of the Learned Society of Wales]] [[Category:Fellows of the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh]]