Focusing on the needs of older carers at the end of life

Source: National End of Life Care Programme

Follow this link for fulltext.

Date of publication: March 2012

Publication type: Case study

In a nutshell:  A joint initiative which began in August 2010 between the Department of Health and Age UK aims to support older carers of people at the end of life so that preferred place of care and preferred place of death are achieved. Carers practical and emotional needs are addressed. The project includes the development of a toolkit which will be available to other organisations who wish to use this model.  The final report will be available in September 2013.

Length of publication: 1 webpage

Acknowledgement: National End of Life Care Programme

Palliative and end of life rapid discharge pathway

Source: National End of Life Care Programme

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Date of publication: March 2012

Publication type: Case study

In a nutshell: In 2009 the University Hospital of North Staffordshire introduced a palliative and end of life rapid discharge pathway for patients in or approaching the terminal phase of their illness.  Discharge is arranged at the earliest opportunity, usually within days or hours.  It is already having a significant impact with around 45 patients a quarter discharged in this way. Unanticipated benefits include the development of strong working relationships between secondary and primary care,  new services being developed and the development of the role of clinical champions for every clinical area who help spread good practice (there are 50 at present).

Length of publication: 1 webpage

Acknowledgement: National End of Life Care Programme

The route to success in end of life care – achieving quality in ambulance services

Source: National End of  Life Care Programme

Follow this link  to download the full report

Date of publication: February 2012

Publication type: Report

In a nutshell: Ambulance services make a crucial contribution to enabling people to have their stated care preferences met and to achieve a ‘good death’ – dying with dignity, ideally in the setting of their choice. The End of Life Care Strategy (DH 2008) recognised ambulance services’ key role in three important areas:
1. Rapid transfer of the dying
2. Developing appropriate transport for the person/carer
3. Developing robust information systems to ensure the wishes of the person (i.e. DNACPRs) are communicated to ambulance services and staff.

Length of publication: 40p.

Acknowledgement: National End of Life Care Programme  and Association of Ambulance Chief Executives

Blackpool Rapid Discharge Pathway: Case Study on National End of Life Programme website

Source:  National End of Life Care Programme website

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Date of publication: February 2012

Publication type: case study

In a nutshell: Outling the successful  impact of a two-level rapid discharge pathway.  Between November 2009 and September 2011, 166 people were discharged via the fast-track process (that is, within 24 hours), and a  further 32 people were discharged through the four hour process.

Acknowledgement: National End of Life Care Programme

Update for EoLC modelling tools: Functional Analysis

Source: National End of Life Care Intelligence Network

Follow this link for the updated materials on EoLC modelling tools.

Date of publication: January 2012

Publication Type: Website

In a nutshell: Functional analysis is:

• a methodology for competence-based workforce design and associated education
• based on the direct relationship between functions (what needs to be done), the context in which it is done (e.g. high risk, or very predictable) and the skill level required to provide a quality service.

The output from the functional analysis undertaken for National End of Life Care Programme is made up of a series of workbooks which describe:

• the workforce skills required to ensure individuals receive quality care in their last year of life, using nationally recognised and standardised statements of function or competence
• the level of skill required at each stage of the end of life care pathway

Acknowledgement: National End of Life Care Programme

QIPP End of Life Showcase Events for Clinical Commissioners

Source:  National End of Life Care Programme

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Date of publication: November 2011

Publication type: News

In a nutshell:  This series of four identical showcase seminars staged throughout the UK are funded by the QIPP End of Life national workstream in order to equip commissioners improve quality and drive down costs. They are designed around sharing best practice in community interventions at end of life and feature presentations from five organisations already achieving high quality, value for money outcomes for their end of life patients.

The purpose of these showcase events are:

• To give commissioners an overview of the current challenge and opportunity for QIPP at the end of life.
• To demonstrate models of community support at end of life that deliver desired quality, innovation, productivity and prevention outcomes
• To stimulate debate about critical success factors for effective commissioning at end of life
• To provide material which will support clinical commissioners and others in delivering QIPP at the end of life.

National end of life care strategy: third annual report

Source:  National End of Life Care Programme

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Date of publication: September 2011

Publication type: Report

In a nutshell: Produced by the Department of Health, this comprehensive report on the National EoLC Strategy details progress over the last year in the context of significant political, organisational and financial changes.  New key drivers are identified and mechanisms to incorporate them into the programme are set out.  Chapters include: Meeting the challenges of EoLC; The information revolution for people approaching the end of life; Improving outcomes for people approaching the end of life (care planning, coordination and delivery and commissioning).  The next steps for the programme are described in detail. 

Length of publication: 82 pages

A framework for the best end of life care planning

Source: Nursing & Residential Care, 2011, 13(3) p.137-40

Follow this link  for fulltext. 

Date of publication: March 2011

Publication type: Article

In a nutshell:  The National End of Life Care Programme has published a guide to improving the care of dying people in care homes.  This article, aimed at care home managers, discusses how it can help them to optimize end of life care in their homes. It advocates a six-step pathway, provides illustrative case studies, information about quality markers, suggestions for staff training and finally, it provides sources of further information.

Length of publication: 4 pages

Some important notes: An NHS Athens password is required to access this article.  Follow this link to find your local NHS Library.

Acknowledgement: BNI

End of Life Care Locality Registers evaluation: final report

Source: National End of Life Care Programme

Follow this link for fulltext.

Date of publication: June 2011

Publication type: Report

In a nutshell: Published by Ipsos MORI this report presents the findings from an evaluation of eight locality register pilot sites across England which began operating in October 2009.  

Length of publication: 169 pages

Act & early to avoid A&E: Guidance for new commissioners of EoLC services

Source: National End of Life Care Programme

Follow this link for fulltext.

Date of publication: July 2011

Publication type: Guidelines

In a nutshell:  Aimed at new commissioners of End of Life Care services (eolc) the purpose of this guideline is to help identify the immediate priority actions to commission effective end of life care. It includes early recommendations for new commissioners and a checklist of resources.

Length of publication: 12 pages

National End of Life Care Programme Newsletter (issue 30)

 Source:  National End of Life Care Programme

Follow this link  for fulltext

Date of publication:  February 2011

Publication type:  Newsletter

In a nutshell: The latest National End of Life Care Programme Newsletter has been published and focusses this month on:

communications & communications skills training

Route to Success for homecare workers 

Befriending work with care home residents at end of life

Length of publication:  10 pages

National End of Life Care Programme Newsletter (Issue 29)

Source: National End of Life Care Programme

Follow this link to download the latest newsletter

Date of publication: January 2011

Publication type: Newsletter

In a nutshell: This issue of the newsletter focuses on commissioning and provides a Rough Guide to Commissioning End of Life Care along with information about the proposed content of a new guide for GP Consortia which is currently being drafted by the National Council for Palliative Care, the National End of Life Care Programme and key partners.

 Length of publication: 12 pages

National End of Life Care Programme Newsletter (Issue 28)

Source: National End of Life Care Programme

Follow this link to download the latest newsletter

Date of publication: December 2010

Publication type: Newsletter

In a nutshell: This issue of the newsletter focuses on end of life care for homeless patients, with the 3 case studies highlighting the needs of homeless people at the end of life. The East Midlands end of life care commissioning tool is discussed, described how it can be used to help improve services

Length of publication: 12 pages

Social care and hospital use at the end of life

Source:  The Nuffield Trust

Follow this link for fulltext

Date of publication:  December 2010

Publication type:  Report

In a nutshell:  This report shows the finding of research conducted by the Nuffield Trust into the use and estimated costs of hospital and social care services for large groups of individuals at the end of their lives.  Key findings indicate:

• An average of 30 per cent of the people who died used some form of local authority-funded social care service in the 12 months prior to death.
• Local authority-funded social care increased gradually in the last year of life, whereas NHS-funded inpatient hospital care increased sharply.
• The balance of total hospital inpatient and social care costs shifted dramatically with increasing age.

Further research involving a larger population has been commissioned by the National End of Life Care Intelligence Network.

Length of publication:  34 pages