A National Clinical Strategy for Scotland

The Scottish Government has published A National Clinical Strategy for Scotland, which makes proposals for how clinical services need to change in order to provide sustainable health and social care services fit for the future. The Strategy highlights the importance of good communication and appropriate treatment towards the end of a person’s life.

Public Health Review

The Public Health Review Group was asked by the Scottish Government to examine public health systems and functions and their contribution to improving population health and reducing (health) inequalities. The group’s report, Review of Public Health in Scotland: Strengthening the Function and re-focusing action for a healthier Scotland, has been published.

Palliative and end of life care in Scotland: The rationale for a public health approach

The Scottish Public Health Network has published Palliative and end of life care in Scotland: The rationale for a public health approach, and five accompanying briefing papers. The report aims to examine the rationale for applying a public health approach to palliative and end of life care, and to explore where and how public health approaches could be applied to support local service planning and delivery. The report includes 17 recommendations.

Burial and Cremation (Scotland) Bill

The Local Government and Regeneration Committee has published its Stage 1 Report on the Burial and Cremation (Scotland) Bill. Stage 2 of the Bill is anticipated to be taken at the Health and Sport Committee on 8 March and the Local Government and Regeneration Committee on 9 March. More information is available here: weblink.

Health and Sport Committee report on palliative care

The Scottish Government has published a response to the Scottish Parliament Health and Sport Committee Report We need to talk about Palliative Care.

Funeral poverty report

Citizens Advice Scotland has published Funeral Poverty in Scotland: A review for the Scottish Government. The report gives recommendations on how the costs of funerals can be controlled and families given more ability to arrange a respectful funeral at an affordable price.

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Arranging a funeral

The Scottish Government has published Arranging a Funeral? Here’s some ideas about what to do and who can help. The leaflet aims to provide some advice about arranging a funeral in Scotland and to provide useful contacts and pointers to further information.

Caring for Life, Preparing for Death: Finity Workshops Series

Finity is a voluntary organisation which was founded by two doctors to give members of their local community the opportunity to consider and explore end-of-life issues.

Having piloted a series of workshops for community members, Finity has produced a manual to guide people who want to run workshops about dying, death and loss within their own community. It offers a framework for the whole series, broken down into individual modules, designed to ensure that people can use the resources to confidently plan either a single workshop or a series of events. (Please note, the resources were designed in England and therefore most but not all of the material is applicable to a Scottish context.)

The manual can be bought at the Finity online shop or a download is available.

Sharing Current Scottish Practice

This month the SPPC Sharing Scottish Practice Blog focuses on two posters displayed at the 2015 SPPC annual conference:

• Improving Discussion and Documentation of CPR and Escalation Status in the ECC
• Key Information Summary Access and Anticipatory Care Planning in Secondary Care: A Quality Improvement Project

The SPPC blog provides an opportunity for people to share examples of current Scottish palliative care practice that might be of interest to the palliative care community more widely. If you know of work underway that might be relevant for sharing on our website, please get in touch.

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Update on Palliative Care Research Forum

Work is underway to establish a Scottish Research Forum for palliative and end of life care. A meeting to discuss this will take place at UK Palliative Care Congress, at the Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre in Glasgow, on Friday 11 March, 11.30 to 12.15 in the Carron Room. (Not at 2pm as previously advertised.) All are welcome.

If you are unable to attend yet would like to contribute, please contact Prof Scott Murray or Prof Marie Fallon or Prof David Clark.

Florence Nightingale Foundation Chair Appointed

The University of Glasgow College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences has announced the appointment of Professor Bridget Johnston to the post of Florence Nightingale Foundation Chair in Clinical Nursing Practice Research. Professor Johnston will take up her post in May.

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Family Caregivers Who Would Be Unwilling to Provide Care at the End of Life Again: Findings from the Health Survey for England Population Survey

This study explored whether people who had cared for someone close to them who had died would be willing to do so again under the same circumstances.

‘My body's falling apart.’ Understanding the experiences of patients with advanced multimorbidity to improve care: serial interviews with patients and carers

This study explored the experiences and perceptions of people with advanced multiborbidity, to inform improvements to palliative and end of life care.

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If ‘it takes a village to raise a child’, it also takes a village to support someone who is dying and their family. The theme for this year's Death Awareness Week Scotland (9-15 May) is #ItTakesAVillage, and we hope the week will provide an opportunity for individuals and organisations across Scotland to undertake activities that promote the positives of living in a society where people can be open about dying, death and bereavement. There are lots of ways to get involved...

Photo Exhibition

The SPPC is currently working with award-winning Glasgow-based photographer Colin Gray to produce a striking new photo exhibition which highlights that, if ‘it takes a village to raise a child’, it also takes a village to support someone who is dying and their family.

We are currently looking for venues to host the exhibition for a day or longer during Awareness Week (9-15 May) - libraries, health centres, town halls, hospitals, schools, hospices... If you would like to host the exhibition please get in touch.

Hold an Event

Awareness week is an opportunity for interested individuals and organisations to undertake local activities to promote the positive benefits of planning ahead. This can encompass a range of activities, from an information stand promoting the importance of anticipatory care planning, power of attorney and having a will, to holding a death cafe.

If you are planning an event as part of Awareness Week please get in touch - we would love to promote it on the GLGDGG website. If you are looking for ideas for your event, check out our website: Awareness Week.

Volunteers sought - tell your own story

For Awareness Week we are gathering together a collection of stories for the GLGDGG website to illustrate that as people’s health deteriorates, care and support comes in many guises and is needed by many different people.

Each story will focus on an individual who has (or is) involved in caring for someone as their health deteriorates, or providing support to their family. Each excerpt will be brief, aiming to connect with readers and focus on an engaging aspect of an individual's experience - a moment, an insight, an emotion... We are therefore currently looking for people who might be willing to share their experiences with us.

We need stories from people with all kinds of roles and experiences - family carers, family members, care home staff, home care workers, district nurses, neighbours, peer support groups, funeral directors, community staff, GPs, nurses, allied health professionals, specialists in palliative care, teachers, bar staff,and many more... If you might be interested in sharing your own insights and experiences please get in touch.

Recognising Achievements

For the first time this year, an award will be made to a person, organisation or publication in recognition of their contribution to promoting more openness about death, dying and/or bereavement in Scotland in the last 12 months.

Can you think of a person who you think has worked hard to promote more openness about death? Is there a publication that you think has had a positive impact on the way we perceive death and dying in Scotland? If so, please get in touch with your nominations.

Health promoting palliative care award

To show that death is everyone's business, we'd love to see events held in a range of venues this awareness week... hospitals, GP surgeries, town halls, shopping centres, libraries, schools, arts venues, sports venues, cafes, pubs...

The NHS Board or Integration Authority that manages to cover the widest variety of venues will win the first ever Awareness Week Health Promoting Palliative Care Award Scotland in recognition of their efforts.

Tell your organisation's story

Awareness week is an opportunity for organisations to celebrate and promote the excellent work they do by sharing the stories of staff and volunteers.

To fit in with the #ItTakesAVillage theme, stories should include a range of roles, and link back to the information on the GLGDGG website. We'd be keen to work with organisations to support promotion of their stories - if this is something your organisation would be interested in, please get in touch.

Resources

We are currently working to produce new resources for Awareness Week 2016 - these will be available to order within the next few months. This will include a new exhibition, leaflet, and web content that illustrate that as people's health deteriorates and they approach death, care and support comes in many guises and is needed by many different people. We also have available eleven information leaflets, web-based practical information, and conversation menus. More information about the resources and how to order them is available here: Resources.

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Looking for an excuse for a work night out?

Join us for a night of death-themed comedy featuring five great acts - Keir McAllister, Stuart Mitchell, Elaine Miller, Gary Faulds and host Susan Morrison, organised and hosted by the world-famous Stand Comedy Club in Edinburgh. Tuesday 19th April, doors open at 19:30, show starts at 20:30 - come along, have a good night, and support the great work of Good Life, Good Death, Good Grief and the SPPC. More information and ticket booking is available here: weblink.

SPPC Annual Conference 2016: further speakers announced

We are pleased to be able to confirm two further speakers for this year’s annual conference:

Professor Charles Normand is Edward Kennedy Professor of Health Policy and Management at the University of Dublin, Trinity College and visiting professor at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine. He will be speaking about health economic evaluation of palliative care and making the case for palliative care in times of austerity.

Professor Brendan McCormick, Head of the Division of Nursing/Head Graduate School and Associate Director Centre for Person-centred Practice Research at Queen Margaret University, will be addressing issues of person-centred practice.

As announced last month, we’re also pleased that Dr Catherine Calderwood, Chief Medical Officer for Scotland, has agreed to give a scene-setting keynote address. Dr Calderwood recently published her annual report for 2014-15. Entitled Realistic Medicine, it includes a discussion of people's 'experience of death' and the potential for inappropriate interventions towards the end of life.

The Annual Conference will take place on 22 September 2016 at the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh. Further details and booking will be announced in the coming months.

Input to the planning of SPPC work

The SPPC is now planning its work from April 2016 to March 2017 and we are keen to hear your views. How can SPPC membership (and the small SPPC staff team) have most impact? What would be your priorities for action? How can the SPPC help to maximise the impact of the new Scottish Government Strategic Framework for Action? Send your ideas to Mark or call 0131 272 2735. The SPPC's current strategy (2014-17) can be read here: SPPC Strategy 2014-17 and our work plan for the year just ending can be read here: SPPC work plan 2015-16.

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Kilbryde Hospice Open Day

Kilbryde Hospice is holding an Open Day on 16 March, from 12.30-3pm and again from 5pm – 8.30pm. All are welcome.

Palliative Care Cross Party Group

Due to the upcoming election, the cross party group in the Scottish Parliament on palliative care has been dissolved. Sincere thanks to Michael McMahon MSP for his support as convenor of the group. It is hoped that sufficient cross party support will be found to the re-convene the group following the election in May.

Marie Curie & CHAS Joint Breakfast Hustings

Marie Curie and the Children’s Hospice Association Scotland (CHAS) are jointly holding a Breakfast Hustings on Wednesday 23 March 2016 in Edinburgh. They hope to be joined by Shona Robison MSP, (Cabinet Secretary for Health, Wellbeing & Sport, Scottish Government and SNP - Invited), Jenny Marra MSP (Spokesperson for Equality, Scottish Labour), Miles Briggs (Prospective Candidate, Scottish Conservatives), Alison Johnstone MSP (Scottish Greens) and a Scottish Liberal Democrat representative (TBC). Refreshments will be available from 8am and the session will start promptly at 8.30am. For more information about the event, or if you would like to submit a question in advance, please contact Susan Lowes.

In the media

The SPPC does not undertake a comprehensive media monitoring service. Listed below are some of the stories relevant to palliative and end of life care that have appeared in the media over the last month. For more media coverage relating to palliative and end of life care, check out the eHospice website.

BBC News: Ministers to consider organ donation opt-out despite rejecting bill

BBC News: Wedding on Raigmore Hospital ward for dying patient

BBC News: Dumfries and Galloway study finds home death decline

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...in each edition of Update we try to end with something a little bit thought-provoking or different. This month, the BMA are holding a writing competition which asks entrants to tell the story of a death that touched them, for better or worse... BMA Writing Competition 2016.

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Comedy at The Stand

The Stand Comedy Club in Edinburgh is organising a Benefit in aid of the Scottish Partnership for Palliative Care. The night will include five great comedy stand up acts, and all proceeds will go directly to the SPPC. Tuesday 19th April, doors open at 1930 - save the date and book your tickets here: weblink.

Save the date: SPPC Annual Conference 2016

This year's Scottish Partnership for Palliative Care Annual Conference will take place on 22 September 2016 at the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh. More details to follow.

Integrating health and social care in Scotland

2 March 2016. (Organised by Scotland Policy Conferences.) More information is available here: weblink.

Grief & Bereavement in Schools - 'Let's Talk About It' Conference

7 March 2016, Stirling. (Organised by Child Bereavement UK.) More information is available here: weblink.

RCPE Symposium: Modern Care of Older People

16 March 2016, Edinburgh. More information is available here: weblink.

Rediscovering Holism: the future for Palliative Care

The 11th Palliative Care Congress, 9 - 11 March 2016, Glasgow. More information is available here: weblink

Palliative Care Research Forum

A short informal meeting will take place during the coffee break on Friday 11 March at the Palliative Care Congress, 11.30 to 12.15 in the Carron Room. All are welcome. If you are unable to attend yet would like to contribute, please contact Prof Scott Murray or Prof Marie Fallon or Prof David Clark.

Highland Palliative Care Course: Living Until you Die - Crossing Boundaries in Palliative Care

15 & 16 March 2016, Inverness. (Organised by Highland palliative care quality improvement group.) Course details are available here: weblink

Kilbryde Hospice Open Day

Kilbryde Hospice is holding an Open Day on 16 March, from 12.30-3pm and again from 5pm – 8.30pm. All are welcome.

Managing Frailty the Fife Way

17 March 2016, Dunfermline. (Organised by NHS Fife and Fife Health and Social Care Partnership.) More information is available here: weblink.

Marie Curie & CHAS Joint Breakfast Hustings

23 March 2016, Edinburgh. For more information about the event, or if you would like to submit a question in advance, please contact Susan Lowes.

Effective Non-Medical Prescribing in End of Life Care

Friday 15 April 2016, London. (Organised by HC-UK Conferences.) More information is available here: weblink or email

Funeral Poverty

21 April, Edinburgh. (Organised by Holyrood Events.) More information is available here: weblink

Implementing the NICE Clinical Guideline on Care of the Dying Adult

19 May 2016, London. More information is available here, or email Hanisha.

'Rehabilitation in palliative care: Supporting people to live actively until they die'

6 May 2016, Cumbernauld. (Organised by Strathcarron Hospice.) More information is available here: weblink

Paediatric Continence Workshop

24 May 2016, Edinburgh. (Organised by the Association for Continence Advice.) More information is available here: weblink

Priorities for palliative and end of life care in Scotland

2 June 2016, Edinburgh. (Organised by Scotland Policy Conferences.) More information is available here: weblink.

Alzheimer Scotland Annual Conference

3 June 2016, Edinburgh. More information is available here: weblink.

Is Heaven for Real? Significant Implications of Near Death Experiences

29 - 31 July 2016, Winchester. More information is available here: weblink

Strathcarron Hospice Annual Conference: New Directions In Palliative Medicine - Living with Dying: Challenges Towards the End of Life

29 - 30 September 2016, Polmont. More information is available here: weblink.

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