Critical success factors that enable individuals to die in their preferred place of death

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: Based on contributions from end of life care commissioners and providers of services within seven Primary Care Trusts, the report is intended as a starting point to help those commissioning and planning services to see what has worked well in other areas.

The factors that are considered critical are (not ranked):

• Strong commissioning and clinical leadership
• Use of nationally recognised drivers that attract payment – LES and CQUINs
• Flexible budgets and care packages
• Use of nationally recognised tools or their local equivalent – ACP, GSF, LCP, PPC, ADAs and CHC Fast Track Pathway
• Shared electronic information systems
• Clearly defined access to 24 hour cover
• Development of care homes
• Use of facilitator roles and co-ordination of care across boundaries
• Training to support staff delivering end of life care.

Length of publication: 88p.

Acknowledgement: National End of Life Care Programme

Sue Ryder Care takes on NHS role

Source: getreading

Follow this link to read the full article

Publication Date:April 2011

Publication Type: Web article

In a nutshell: Berkshire West Primary Care Trust transferred all specialist palliative care services to Sue Ryder on April 1, as part of the Department of Health’s Transforming Community Services.

Acknowledgements: Topix Local News

Transitions to palliative care in acute hospitals in England: qualitative study

Source: BMJ  2011; 342:d1773

Follow this link to access the full article

Date: March 2011

Publication Type: Article

Publication Length:7 pages

In a nutshell: This qualitative study explores how transitions to a palliative care approach are perceived to be managed in acute hospital settings in England. The article concludes that significant barriers to implementing a policy of structured transitions to palliative care in acute hospitals were identified by health professionals in both primary and secondary care. These need to be addressed if current UK policy on management of palliative care in acute hospitals is to be established.

Dying Matters – GP Pilot Project Evaluation

 Source:  Dying Matters

Follow this link  for the report in  fulltext

Follow this link  for a summary of the report

Date of publication:  October 2010

Publication type:  Report

In a nutshell:  This report by the Dying Matters coalition shows that with the right support Doctors can feel confident discussing death with patients.   In addition the pilot study had a positive effect on patient outcomes and increased the numbers of patients who communicated openly about their needs and preferences at the end of life.  At the outset of the pilot 60% of the participating GPs expressed concern that patients would find discussions about their choices at the end of their lives distressing however 90% of the patients continued the conversation once it has been initiated by their GP.

Length of publication:  50 pages

Discharge Planning for Palliative Care Patients: A Qualitative Analysis

Source: Journal of Palliative Medicine 2010, 14(1), p665-69.

Follow this link for the full text article

Date of publication: January 2011

Publication type: Article

In a nutshell: The aim of this study was to identify the range of health care experiences of family caregivers and patients who received palliative care consultations after they left the hospital, and to understand how PCTs might best prepare patients and caregivers for the post-hospital experience.

Length of publication: 5 pages

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.

 

 

Going for gold in primary care

Title: Going for gold in primary care

Source: Primary Health Care, 20(4): 22-24

Follow this link to access this article

Date: May 2010

Publication type: Article

Publication length: 3 pages

In a nutshell: Caring for people who are approaching the end of their lives and their families is at the heart of general practice. Primary care teams have small numbers of patients in the final year or so of life but this is when most health care and support is needed. A new training package from the gold standards framework builds on existing programmes to enable primary care teams to achieve the best possible care for patients and their families.

Some important notes: An NHS Athens password is required to access this article online. Follow this link to register for a password.

24/7 palliative care nursing still patchy

Title: 24/7 palliative care nursing still patchy

Source: Nursing Times 2010 Vol. 106(27) p2

Date: July 2010

Publication type: News story

In a nutshell: A Freedom of Information Act request by MacMillan Cancer Support found that 24/7 community nursing support for end of life care patients is available in only half of the PCTs in England. This suggests there has been little in improvement in round the clock community nursing support since the publication of the National End of Life Care strategy in 2008.

Publication Length: 1 page

Some important notes: This article is not available online, contact your local health library for a copy of this article. Follow this link to find your local health library.

End of life care: a rapid response hospice at home service

Source: Nursing Older People Vol. 22(4) p22-2

Follow this link for the full text article (NHS Athens password required)

Date: May 2010

Publication type: Article

In a nutshell: This article reports on a rapid response hospice at home service piloted by Sue Ryder Care. The project supported 17 patients to die in their own homes. Evaluation of the project will be shared with the local primary care trust in the hope that it will continue to fund the service. Other community-based models of end of life care that the charity has developed are outlined.

Some important notes: If you do not have an NHS Athens password, please contact your local NHS Library for the full text of the article.  Follow this link to find your local NHS Library.

Acknowledgements: MEDLINE

How to improve end of life care

Title: How to improve end of life care

Source: Health Service Journal

Follow this link for abstract

Date of Publication: 18 May 2010

Publication Type: Article

In a nutshell: The 2008 end of life care strategy allocated £286m to primary care trusts. This article looks at some of the innovations and improvements being made with the cash.

Some important notes: You must be a paid subscriber to Health Service Journal magazine to read this article online alternatively contact your local health library for a copy of the article

MPs call for better checks on how PCTs spend dementia strategy money

Title: MPs call for better checks on how PCTs spend dementia strategy money

Source: Alzheimer’s Society

Follow this link for the web article

Date of publication: March 2010

In a nutshell: The All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for dementia has called for dementia strategy funding to be better monitored and audited in light of the information that more than two thirds of PCTs are unable to say if or how they have spent funds allocated to them under the National Dementia Strategy for England.

Length of publication: 1 page

Summary Care Record: the Bury experience.

Source: European Journal of Palliative Care

Follow this link for the article.

Date of Publication: May-June 2009

Publication Type: Online article

In a nutshell: This article looks at the implementation of the Summary Care Record for end-of-life care at NHS Bury PCT to replace the paper-based system of communication between patients’ GPs, consultants, district nurse services and out-of-hours care providers. Benefits to patients, GP practices and urgent care providers are discussed.

Length of Publication: 3 pages

Acknowledgements: CINAHL

Reform and modernisation: developing a new service model for palliative care

Source: European Journal Palliative Care

Follow this link for the article.

Date of publication: May – June 2009

Publication Type: Online journal article

In a nutshell: Project in Northern Ireland to identify a community based, integrated, palliative care service model based on recognised needs of adults in the last year of life.

Length of Publication: 4 pages

Acknowledgement: CINAHL

£2.5 million to allow patients the right to die at home

Source: The Sentinel

Click here to link to the full article

Publication Type: News article

In a nutshell: End of Life Care in North Staffordshire is to be reformed after new figures show thousands of patients are unable to spend their final days at home. £2.5 million has been approved for EOLC improvements which are scheduled to begin Autumn 2009. A large-scale consultation of patients is planned for late August 2009 followed by the setting up of a 24/7 advice line.