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What is End of Life Care?
“End of Life Care” aims to improve the quality of care at the end of life for all patients across all settings and disease types, enabling more patients to live and die in their place of choice.
How is the Network involved?
The network is responsible for coordinating and supporting the work and development of End of Life Care (EoLC). The EoLC team aim to achieve a 10% reduction in hospital deaths by using enhanced community services by 2012.
This work is based on the 11 recommendations documented in the "Healthier Horizons" publication in 2008 – the North West response to Lord
Darzi’s review "Our NHS Our Future". More information on this and other related work, such as the North West End of Life Care Model can be found here.
Care Homes
The team continue to work with care homes across Greater Manchester and Cheshire to encourage the uptake of End of Life Care tools (more on this below). The tools will support care homes to enhance their provision of quality end of life care to residents in the place of their choice, whilst also supporting families.
End of Life Care Tools
There are three tools which the End of Life Care team aim to facilitate the implementation of across hospitals, GP practices, hospices and care homes. These are:
- Gold Standards Framework (GSF)
GSF enables those approaching the end of life to be identified, their care needs assessed, and a plan of care with all relevant agencies put in place. The framework focuses on communication, continuity of care, teamwork, advance planning (including out of hours), symptom control and carer and staff support.
For more info on this, click here: http://www.goldstandardsframework.nhs.uk/ - Liverpool Care Pathway for the Dying Patient (LCP)
A document that provides guidance to all types of health workers on best practice for the care of the dying, including comfort measures, psychological and spiritual support and anticipatory prescribing of medicines to control symptoms.
For more info on this, click here: http://www.liv.ac.uk/mcpcil/liverpool-care-pathway/ - Preferred Priorities for Care (PPC)
Formerly known as Preferred Place of Care, this document originated in the Lancashire and South Cumbria Cancer Network as a part of a District Nurse education programme. The PPC allows the patient to record their preferences and priorities for care at the end of life. The document can be transferred with the patient between services to ensure the patients wishes can be acted upon if required and possible.
For more info on this please click here: http://eolc.cbcl.co.uk/eolc/ppc.htm
- National End of Life Care Communication Skills Programme
What is the Communication Skills Programme
The National End of Life Care Strategy identified improving the knowledge, skills and attitudes of the people working in end of life care as central to better care of the dying. Communication was highlighted as one of the four core competences by the Department of Health and the National End of Life Care Programme (NEoLCP). Twelve pilot sites from around the country, including the Greater Manchester and Cheshire Cancer Network, are taking part in a pilot study looking specifically at communication in End of Life Care (EoLC).
The project will build on the Network’s proven experience of delivering training and education programmes in communication skills, via a Training Needs Analysis of a sample of the health and social care workforce involved in EoLC. The project will include the EoLC workforce who provide care to patients/clients with any life limiting illness not just cancer. The analysis will also include evaluation of the current provision of training and the skills required by training facilitators.
Aim of the ProjectThe project will develop a costed, sustainable model for the delivery of communication skills training for the EoLC workforce across Greater Manchester and Cheshire; consider the coordination, planning and delivery of training courses across the Network and; look to extend advanced communication skills training to non cancer end of life conditions. The pilot findings will contribute to a quality framework that will ensure patients, their families and carers are cared for by staff with the appropriate communication skills training and are competent to communicate sensitively and well.
The Training Needs Analysis (TNA) process
Three training needs analysis questionnaires have been designed for employers, employees and training providers, to:
· Determine the current communication skills of the local health and social care workforce involved in caring for people at the end of life.
· Match the current skills against the competencies recommended
· Identify any shortfall.
The TNA will also facilitate:
· Identification of training requirements
· Planning of training activities
· Development of a training resource plan
Timescales
Due to the size of the Network and the limited timescales of the programme, the pilot project will be carried out in 2 phases.Phase 1
Between May and September 2010, Central and Eastern Cheshire, The Christie, Tameside and Salford are taking part in the pilot process.Phase 2
From October 2010 the remaining 8 health and social care economies in the Network will be invited to take part in phase 2 of the project.Training Providers
Communication skills training across Greater Manchester and Cheshire is provided by a wide range of organisations and individuals. Running alongside the two phases of the project will be an analysis and evaluation of the current provision of training and the skills required by training facilitators. The analysis of training providers will gain an understanding of:
· The types training provided
· Who provides the training
· Who the training is provided for
· How funding of training and trainers is accessed
· Commissioning arrangements for the provision of training, including a QIPP analysis to ensure value for moneyResults of the Training Needs Analysis (TNA) from the 3 pilot areas in phase 1 will be available to the National Communications Skills Project team at the end of September 2010. Included in the report for the national team will be recommendations for the delivery of communication skills training to the EoLC workforce across Greater Manchester and Cheshire. Results will be fed back to the 3 pilot sites during October 2010.
Relevant Documents
Further strategies, guidance and policies around End of Life Care in the network can be found here.
Who is responsible for this work?
Hilary Compston – Head of Supportive & Palliative Care
End of Life Care is one part of the overall Supportive & Palliative Care workstream for the Network. Hilary’s responsibility is to steer the EoLC programme, ensure it is successful and fits well with other Supportive & Palliative Care priorities. You can find out more about Hilary’s role here.
Kim Wrigley – End of Life Care Lead
Kim Wrigley is in post as the End of Life Care Lead to facilitate, and support clinicians in, the implementation of the EoLC tools across organisations responsible for delivering End of Life Care. Kim leads on several programmes of work aiming to enhance care delivery and support people to live and die in their preferred place of care and death. Kim has a nursing background in Mental Health and has expertise in Dementia care, in particular people with advancing dementia.
Contact Kim on 0161 920 9726. (Click here to email Kim)
Elaine Horgan – End of Life Care Home Co-ordinator
Elaine coordinates a programme for care homes that are successful in obtaining a place via GMCCN onto the national "Gold Standards Framework in Care Homes" programme.
Contact Elaine on 0161 920 9723 (Click here to email Elaine.)
Clair Bottomley - Programme Support Officer
Clair has worked with the End of Life Care Team since January 2009 and continues to support Hilary, Kim and Elaine in their roles through administration, organisation of events hosted by the End of Life Care Team and general project support.
Contact Clair on 0161 920 9712 (Click here to email Clair.)
Who do I contact for more information?
Clair Bottomley, Programme Support Officer for End of Life Care Team on 0161 920 9712 or click here to email Clair.
Links for further reading:
http://www.endoflifecareforadults.nhs.uk/
This website is designed to support health and social care staff working, in any capacity, with people nearing the end of life.
