New investment in coordinated care

Source: Marie Curie Cancer Care

Follow this link for the webpage

Date of publication: April 2012

Publication type: Website

In a nutshell: Marie Curie Cancer Care is managing a new innovative Palliative Care Coordination Centre for NHS South of Tyne and Wear which aims to deliver the right end of life care to people across the area, enabling them to be cared for and die in the place of their choice.

Acknowledgement: Help the Hospices

End-of-life preferences in advanced cancer patients willing to discuss issues surrounding their terminal condition

Source: European Journal of Cancer Care

Follow this link for the abstract

Date of publication: April 2012

Publication type: Article

In a nutshell: The aim of the study is to describe end-of-life preferences of advanced cancer patients willing to talk about death issues. Eighty-eight advanced cancer patients were interviewed through End of Life Preferences Interview (ELPI), a 23-item interview covering a wide range of end-of-life care issues. Most interviewed subjects were home care patients. The article concludes that ELPI can be a useful instrument to adapt the model of care to the specific needs and values of each patient.

Some important notes: This article is only available online at present. For assistance in obtaining a copy of this article, please contact your local NHS Library. Follow this link to find your local NHS Library.

 

Palliative and end of life rapid discharge pathway

Source: National End of Life Care Programme

Follow this link for fulltext.

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

What are patients’ priorities when facing the end of life? A critical review.

Source: International Journal of Palliative Nursing, 2011,17 (6), p.294-300

Follow this link  for fulltext 

Date of publication: June 2011

Publication type: Review, Article

In a nutshell:  The objective of this critical review was to investigate what patients’ priorities are when facing the end of life. A methodical and explicit search was made of academic databases to identify key articles. These articles were then critically appraised and the data was extracted and anylsed using an appropriate methodology. Findings showed that patients wanted:

• to understand and accept their changing health status

• to retain some normality in life

• to be supported by friends and family

• to know they will be taken care of after the death

• good and trusting relationships with health professionals.

Length of publication: 7 pages

Some important notes:

Some important notes: Please contact your local NHS Library for the full text of the article. Follow this link to find your local NHS Library.

Acknowledgement: BNI

No Dress Rehearsals

Source: National Council for Palliative Care

Follow this link for information on this publication

Date of publication: August 2011

Publication type: Report

In a nutshell: Coming three years on from the Government’s End of Life Care Strategy, “No Dress Rehearsals” looks at how end of life care is measuring up, and finds that despite many examples of excellent end of life care there remain serious cases of neglect and ill-treatment and many people are not getting their end of life wishes met. The NCPC and the Dying Matters Coalition have requested a new deal is needed for people who are dying to ensure they are treated well and receive high quality care and support at the end of their lives.

Length of publication: 8 pages

Some important notes: For a copy of this report contact your local health Library. Follow this link to find you local health library.

Gold Standards Framework Primary Care Briefing paper

Source: Gold Standards Framework

Follow this link to the briefing paper

Date of Publication: December 2010

Publication type: Briefing paper

In a nutshell: The Gold Standards Framework enables ‘generalists’ to deliver high quality end of life care. It is now extensively used across the UK, embedded as mainstream within primary care. Many thousands of patients and their carers have benefited from receiving more
coordinated care enabling them to die at home if preferred.

 

 

Introducing a new hospice community care model (CCM)

Source:  National End of Life Care Programme

Follow this link for the case study report in  fulltext 

Follow this link to St Catherine’s Hospice website

Follow this link to the poster presentation:   Community palliative care: integrating staff experiences to develop a new patient care model

Follow this link to the poster presentation:  Successes and challenges in implementing  a new Community Care Model 

Date of publication: November 2010

Publication type: Case Study and Poster Presentations

In a nutshell:  This case study describes the new community care model introduced a  in 2009 at St Catherine’s Hospice in Crawley with the objective of  becoming more responsive to patients and carers and enhancing patient choice at the end of life.  The changes introduced so far have meant that significant numbers of patients have been able to die at the place they indicated in their Preferred Place of Care.  Considerable improvements are reported and the scheme has implemented improved channels of communication between services which has resulted in rapid exchange of key patient information which has impacted significantly in the progress made so far. The work is ongoing.

A retrospective analysis of preferred and actual place of death for hospice patients.

 Source:  International Journal of Palliative Nursing  2010, 16 (9) p.424-30 

Follow this link for  abstract

Date of publication: September 2010

Publication type: Article

In a nutshell:  Research comparing the preferred and actual place of death of hospice patients. The article focussed on results of a retrospective analysis of patients’ records over a 6-month period and on possible reasons why some patients’ preferences were not recorded. The suitability of preferred place of death as an outcome measure in quality evaluations of palliative care services is considered and recommendations made.

Length of publication: 7 pages

Some important notes:  This article is available in full text to all NHS Staff using Athens, for more information about accessing full text follow this link to find your local NHS Library

Acknowledgement: BNI

Achieving a good death for all.

Source: British Medical Journal, September 2010,  341(7774) p.656-8

Follow this link for the full text article

Date of publication: September 2010

Publication type: Article

In a nutshell: Palliative Care Beyond Cancer. This article discusses best practice to improve quality of care for the last days of life. The Liverpool Care Pathway is discussed along with the Marie Curie Palliative Care Institute report ‘National Care of the Dying Audit of Hospitals in England’ (2009). Patients’ wishes regarding place of death and financial implications from the National Audit Office are considered.

Length of publication: 2 pages

This article is available in full text to all NHS Staff using Athens, for more information about accessing full text follow this link to find your local NHS Library

The Government’s eight-point plan for improving end-of-life care

Source: British Journal of Nursing, 2010, 19(18) p1194-6

Follow this link for the fulltext article

Date of publication: October 2010

Publication type: Article

In a nutshell: Following recommendations made in the Department of Health’s 2nd annual report of the ‘End of life care strategy’ (2010). This article evaluates of the use of personal health budgets, changing public opinion towards death, delivery of care in the last days of life, care in different settings and other measures to improve care for people who are dying.

Length of publication: 3 pages

This article is available in full text to all NHS Staff using Athens, for more information about accessing full text follow this link to find your local NHS Library

The route to success in end of life care – achieving quality in acute hospitals

Source: National End of Life Care Programme website.

Follow this link for fulltext.

Date of publication:  June 2010

Publication type: Service Guidelines

In a nutshell:  The guide provides pragmatic support to commissioners and service leads as they seek to deliver excellent services whilst the pressure to make  best use of resources increases. With advice for trusts on

• how to re-shape the workforce 
• how to facilitate collaborative working between staff, patients and community and social care partners
• how to improve care quality and meet the agenda of Quality, Innovation, Productivity and Prevention (QIPP). 
• how to ensure that more patients are able to choose where they die 
• how to reduce the incidences and duration of unplanned hospital admissions.

Implementation of these good practice principles will result in

• a motivated and well-trained workforce 
• improvements in the patient experience 
• a decrease in costly interventions. 
• better use of resources
• improved community services 
• patients securing more control over their care and where they die.

Length of publication: 27 pages

Ensuring patient choices about dignity and place of death are respected at the end of life.

Source:   Nursing Times, 2010, 22, 0954-7762

Follow this link  for fulltext

Date of publication:  June, 2010

Publication type: News item 

In a nutshell:  This article considers the significance of psychosocial care and the role that District Nurses have in ensuring that patient’s choices are supported when they receive a terminal diagnosis.  It focuses on the challenges nurses encounter in respecting and acting as advocates for patients preferences about where they want to receive care and where they want to die.  The article considers how services may need to develop in the light of a growing elderly population.

Length of publication: 6 pages.

Hospital nurses should be ‘systematic’ about end-of-life care

Title: Hospital nurses should be ‘systematic’ about end-of-life care

Source: www.nursingtimes.net

Date of Publication: June 2010

Publication type: Web article

In a nutshell: This article reports on the DH suggestion that hospital nurses needs to adopt a systematic approach  in helping patients choose where they die. John Ellershaw DH national deputy director for End of Life Care told Nursing Times that nurses should be taking a more active role in advanced care planning and rapid discharge from hospital. Comments were made in light of the recent DH guidance on End of Life Care. The guidance highlights a nurse led tool being piloted at London’s Guy’s and St Thomas’s Foundation Trust. The AMBER care bundle has enabled 78 per cent of patients to die in their place of choice since the pilot began in January.

Some important notes: Follow this link to read the press release about the AMBER care bundle

The NEoLCP publishes first in a series of practical guides

Title: The NEoLCP publishes first in a series of practical guides

Source: The National End of Life Care Programme

Follow this link to download the report

Date of publication: June 2010

Publication type: Report

In a nutshell: Route to Success: achieving quality end of life care in care homes follows the six step end of life care pathway from initial discussion about end of life care to the care provided to the resident in his or her final days and support for the family after death. The report emphasises the importance of co-ordinated care delivered by staff who feel confident in helping their patients or service-users plan their future care.

Acknowledgements: NEoLCP