Living & Dying Well

This paper provides an update (29 November 2012) on the implementation of the Scottish Government’s action plan on palliative and end of life care Living and Dying Well. It gives information about work at national level, but does not cover all the work going on at local level across Scotland.

Education

The STARS online training module for consultants in now available

NES has developed a new DNACPR module for Foundation Years 1 and 2 as part of the Doctors online training system (DOTS).

Audit

Further testing of the national audit measures has been delayed.

Analysis of the NHS Board update reports Oct 2011), together with the reports themselves have been published on the Scottish Government’s website

These quality indicators will be subject to wide consultation from 12^th November to 21^st December 2012.

This is a Scotland-wide collaborative project to review and update palliative care clinical guidelines. The steering group has met four times. A robust but pragmatic methodology has been developed with expertise from HIS. Local subgroups have been established and are now drafting guidelines on specific related topics. A more detailed project bulletin is available from SPPC.

Membership is open to all who support the aims of the alliance. It takes only a moment to join via the website. Around 500 organisations and individuals have joined to date. A stakeholders’ event is being held on14th November 2012. A range of practical leaflets are now available. A new film about living with advanced disease has been produced. The alliance’s website is www.goodlifedeathgrief.org.uk

The Care Inspectorate has identified new information it will collect via its annual returns which will inform improvement of palliative care in care homes.

The Joint Improvement Team http://www.jitscotland.org.uk/ is supporting a focus on palliative and end of life care within Reshaping Care for Older People and the associated change fund.

The Partnership, Care Inspectorate, Scottish Care and JIT have produced a new web-based resource to enable care home providers to access; evidence, policy, good practice, resources and education. This will be launched at Scottish Care’s annual care home conference on 23^rd November.

The Palliative Care Zone on NHS Inform is live http://www.nhsinform.co.uk/palliativecare . SPPC will be managing the review and update of content. This resource will provide patient and family information relating to the palliative care guidelines. Please send any feedback to office@palliativecarescotland.org.uk .

A Framework for Palliative Care for Children and Young People (produced by SCYPPEx) is expected to be published by the Scottish Government fairly soon.

SCYPPEx has become a part of the SPPC.

A new CEL on hospice commissioning was published in May 2012. CEL 12 (2012) 'A Partnership for Better Palliative and End of Life Care: Creating a new relationship between Independent Adult Hospices and NHS Boards in Scotland' which was published today.

http://www.sehd.scot.nhs.uk/mels/CEL2012_12.pdf

A hospice Quality Improvement Forum, comprising Scottish Hospices and host NHS Boards is in the process of being established.

PALLIATIVE CARE IN ACUTE SETTINGS

SPPC is working with the Scottish Patient Safety Programme (HIS), and hospitals in NHS GGC, NHS Lothian and NHS Forth Valley to pilot the use of the AMBER care bundle for deteriorating patients at risk of dying.