Living & Dying Well

DNACPR

The STARS online training module for consultants in now available

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

A new measure to support the audit of the implementation of the national DNACPR policy was published by NHS HIS in 2013.

An event on 9^th January 2014 “Deteriorating patients in Scotland; reliable response, review and DNACPR” was attended by over 200 staff from across NHS Scotland.

A light-touch review of the national DNACPR policy is scheduled to complete by the end of March 2015.

NHS BOARD UPDATE REPORTS ON LIVING AND DYING WELL IMPLEMENTATION

'A national overview report on palliative and end of life care, March 2012' provides an analysis of the NHS Board update reports (Oct 2011) and is available on the Scottish Government’s website.

NHS HIS published Palliative and End of Life Care indicators on their website in 2013.

Living and Dying Well: Building on Progress (2011) set out two actions to develop and support the use of national palliative care clinical guidelines across an agreed list of topic areas.

Supported by the Scottish Partnership for Palliative Care and Healthcare Improvement Scotland, the new NHS Scotland Scottish Palliative Care Guidelines were published in November 2015. They reflect expert opinion about good practice in the management of adult patients at the end of life.

Good Life, Good Death, Good Grief is an alliance of individuals and organisations working to make Scotland a place where people can be open about death, dying and bereavement. Over 800 organisations and individuals have joined to date.

More information about the activities of GLGDGG can be found here:

Good Life, Good Death, Good Grief website

To Absent Friends website

Death on the Fringe website

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

The Joint Improvement Team and SPPC have published an e-bulletin focused on palliative and end of life care for the local authority/NHS Board/3^rd sector partnerships engaged in Reshaping Care for Older People.

The SPPC, Care Inspectorate, Scottish Care and JIT have produced a web-based resource to enable care home providers to access; evidence, policy, good practice, resources and education.

The new JIT strategy prioritises the importance of sharing learning about palliative care in care homes.

The SPPC provided palliative care representation on a government strategic taskforce looking at residential care. This group has now published its report: The Future of Residential Care for Older People in Scotland - Full Report.

The Palliative Care Zone on NHS Inform is live and aims to provide information to members of the public about palliative and end of life care. The SPPC is currently managing the review and update of NHS Inform Palliative Care Zone content. Please get in touch with feedback on any aspect of the palliative care zone content (including suggestions for new content).

Together for Short Lives has established a UK-wide task force on transition.

A Framework for Palliative Care for Children and Young People (produced by SCYPPEx) has been published by the Scottish Government and was formally formal launched in March 2013.

SCYPPEx is now part of the SPPC.

A 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'.

A new Hospice Quality Improvement Forum was established in 2013, comprising Scottish Hospices and host NHS Boards.

PALLIATIVE CARE IN ACUTE SETTINGS

The SPPC worked with the Scottish Patient Safety Programme (HIS), and a number of hospitals in NHS Boards to develop a structured response (SSR) to patients in hospitals whose condition is deteriorating and whose recovery is uncertain. It has been decided not to further pursue the use of the AMBER Care Bundle in Scotland. The SSR was presented at the SPSP Learning Event in August 2013 with the opportunity for NHS Boards to consider its adoption for local use. An event on 9^th January 2014 “Deteriorating patients in Scotland; reliable response, review and DNACPR” was attended by over 200 staff from across NHS Scotland.

The Scottish Government announced the phasing out of the Liverpool Care Pathway and published Interim Guidance for Health and Social Care staff in December 2014. In December 2015, the Scottish Government published a National Statement on caring for people in the last days and hours of life. NHS Scotland and the Scottish Government have published Guidance: Caring for people in the last days and hours of life. The guidance replaces the Interim Guidance published in December 2013.

Craig White wrote to NHS Boards and other stakeholders in April 2014 with an update on the direction of travel. Read the letter here.

SG has funded Scottish participation in an IHI collaborative “Conversation Ready Community” . SPPC staff member Derek Blues is project managing this work and working closely with 3 test sites – NHS Grampian, NHS Lanarkshire and NHS Lothian. The project is scheduled to complete at the end of March 2015.