Scottish Government Health and Social Care Delivery Plan

The Scottish Government has published a Health and Social Care Delivery Plan setting out their programme to further enhance health and social care services. It includes the following paragraph relating to palliative care:

“By 2021, we aim to: Ensure that everyone who needs palliative care will get hospice, palliative or end of life care. All who would benefit from a ‘Key Information Summary’ will receive one – these summaries bring together important information to support those with complex care needs or long-term conditions, such as future care plans and end of life preferences. More people will have the opportunity to develop their own personalised care and support plan. The availability of care options will be improved by doubling the palliative and end of life provision in the community, which will result in fewer people dying in a hospital setting.”

Scottish Parliament Health and Sport Committee

The Scottish Parliament Health and Sport Committee have recently sent a letter to the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Sport requesting information in relation to progress with implementation of the Strategic Framework for Action on Palliative and End-of-life care.

Parliamentary Questions

Anas Sarwar MSP: To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports of an increase in the number of people dying in hospital while waiting to be discharged because their care package had yet to be finalised. (S5T-00307)

Details of the Cabinet Secretary’s reply can be viewed on the Scottish Parliament website.

Motion debated in parliament

On 12 January, the Scottish Parliament held a members’ business debate on motion S5M-02197, in the name of Colin Smyth, on the Marie Curie report on challenging inequities in palliative care. The transcript from the debate is available here: Official Report from meeting of parliament 12 January 2017.

Digital Health and Social Care Strategy 2017-22 – Development

The Scottish Government is developing a new integrated Digital Health and Social Care Strategy, and are looking for people’s views and experience of digital health and social care.

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HIS palliative care bulletin

Healthcare Improvement Scotland produce a monthly bulletin designed to help people to keep up-to-date with publications across the range of topics covered by the Scottish Palliative Care Guidelines. The bulletins include articles from key journals plus reports and research publications from a range of organisations.

Pain and pancreatic cancer

Pancreatic Cancer UK recently published Pain and pancreatic cancer. The booklet is designed for people with pancreatic cancer and their families. It describes the different types of pain that pancreatic cancer can cause. It has information on how to describe pain, and ways of keeping it under control, including painkillers.

Sharing current Scottish practice

The SPPC Annual Conference in 2016 featured 36 poster displays, sharing work and research underway across Scotland. Each month, our Sharing current Scottish Practice blog focuses on the content of a few of these posters. This month, we focus on:

• Bereavement Support in a Hospice Setting
• Children's Palliative Care in Scotland: the role of the Diana Children's Nurses
• CNS model for identifying level of support/intervention needed for care homes
• Complex Communication Needs: Nursing the patient with Motor Neurone Disease

The SPPC Sharing Current Scottish Practice 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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Palliative and End of Life Care Research Forum

The third meeting of this forum will take place from 10am to 4pm on Thursday 23 February 2017 in Edinburgh. More information and the opportunity to reserve a place is available here: weblink.

New Directions in Palliative Medicine Conference: Abstracts sought

This conference is open for abstract submission until 31 May 2017.

Applying for funding for palliative care research

Marie Curie are running a course on applying for funding for palliative care research, on 23 March at the Marie Curie Hospice in Edinburgh. The programme for the day will include:

• Building capacity in palliative care research - Prof Bridget Johnston, University of Glasgow
• CSO research funding: opportunities for palliative care - Dr Tom Barlow, Chief Scientist Office
• Marie Curie Research Grants Program 2017 - Dr Sabine Best, Marie Curie
• Research funding for palliative care research: perils, pitfalls and pearls - Prof Sonja McIlfatrick, University of Ulster
• Building a successful team - Prof Scott Murray
• Research fellowships for early career clinicians - Dr Connie Swenson

For more information and to book, contact Anne Finucane.

Measuring the impact of a public awareness campaign to increase Welfare Power of Attorney registrations in Scotland

Kate Levin, Jill Carson, Emilia Crighton. Age Ageing (2017) 1-6.

Palliative Care Clinical Dataset (England)

NHS England has launched a Palliative Care Clinical Dataset. The datset was commissioned from Public Health England by NHS England and aligned with NHS England’s soon-to-be-published work on developing currencies for specialist palliative care. The Palliative Care Clinical Dataset is non-mandatory but can be adopted voluntarily by providers and commissioners wanting to understand casemix and outcomes for patients receiving specialist palliative care. More information is available by emailing the NHS England End of Life Care Team.

New knowledge hub for children's palliative care

The University of York and Martin House Children’s Hospice have launched a new multi-disciplinary centre to lead research on the management, care and support of children with life-limiting conditions and their families. The centre aims to bring together experts including staff from Martin House, academics, researchers and healthcare professionals, who will deliver evidence and expertise to inform the work of policy makers and healthcare professionals.

Call for research participants for research project on ‘How does assisted dying affect the experience of the bereaved in the UK?’

Janette Fish, a pHd student at Lancaster University, is exploring how a physician assisted death affects the bereaved. She is looking for research participants. More information is available here: weblink.

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New report explores South Asian communities' views on end-of-life care and treatment

Compassion in Dying has published Tea, Talk and Samosas: Planning ahead for the end of life with the South Asian community. The report details findings and recommendations from a project aimed at engaging the South Asian community in planning ahead for end-of-life care and treatment.

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Save the date: SPPC annual conference

Next year's Scottish Partnership for Palliative Care Annual Conference will take place on Wednesday 20 September 2017 at the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh. More details will follow.

Changes to SPPC Council

Euan Paterson and Gordon McLaren have both reached the end of their term on Council. Sincere thanks to Gordon and Euan for their work and commitment to the SPPC over the last six years.

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Supporting young patients in the move to adult services

A new project between The Prince & Princess of Wales Hospice and CHAS is focusing on supporting the transition of young people to adult services.

Palliative and end of life care intelligence network (England)

Public Health England's Palliative and end of life care intelligence network has published its December e-bulletin.

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.

Evening Times: Hospice patients could have to pay for care

The Scotsman: It’s all about people not patients

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In each edition of Update we try to end with something a little bit thought-provoking or different. This month we look at the UbbLE, the UK Longevity Explorer. UbbLE has been developed as a resource for individuals, researchers, doctors and anyone working in public health and policy, and aims to improve understanding of factors that might increase or reduce life expectancy in the UK. Check out their website, where you can calculate your risk of dying in the next five years...

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SPPC Annual Conference

Next year's Scottish Partnership for Palliative Care Annual Conference will take place on Wednesday 20 September 2017 at the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh. More details will follow.

Palliative Care for the under 5s

Organised by CHAS and NHS Lothian. 2 February 2017, Edinburgh. More information is available here: weblink

Trees that bend in the wind: Exploring the experiences of front line support workers delivering palliative and end of life care

Organised by Scottish Care. 8 February 2017, Glasgow. More information is available here: weblink.

Bereavement Research into Practice

Organised by the National Bereavement Alliance. 28 February 2017, London

More information is available here: weblink or contact Alison Penny with enquiries.

NES Training in Psychological Skills - Paediatric Healthcare

2 day training course on Significant Conversations, Life-limiting Conditions and Palliative Care. 20 February 2017 and 27 March 2017, Glasgow. More information is available here: weblink, or email Kathleen McMenny.

Palliative and End of Life Care Research Forum

23 February 2017, Edinburgh. More information and the opportunity to reserve a place is available here: weblink.

Professor Anne Basting: lecture and creative storytelling for people working with older people with dementia

Organised by Luminate and Queen Margaret University. Prof Bastings will speak about how the arts can transform lives of older people and older people with dementia at a public lecture on Monday 13 March, and lead a creative storytelling training day for artists and care professionals working with older people with dementia on Tuesday 14 March. More information is available here: weblink.

Generations Working Together Conference

8 March 2017, Stirling. More information is available here: weblink.

Applying for funding for palliative care research

Organised by Marie Curie. 23 March 2017, Edinburgh. For more information and to book, please contact Anne Finucane.

The APM Supportive and Palliative Care Conference (ASP Conference)

30 and 31 March 2017, Belfast. More information is available here: weblink.

Defining moments in children’s palliative care: Transforming the family experience

Organised by Together for Short Lifes, 10 & 11 May 2017, Birmingham. More information is available here: weblink.

Continence Without Borders

Organised by the Association for Continence Advice. 22 - 23 May 2017, Belfast. More information is available here: weblink.

Paediatric Continence Workshop

23 May 2017, Belfast. More information is available here: weblink.

Palliative and end of life care in Scotland - commissioning, public awareness and delivering best practice

Organised by Scotland Policy Conferences. 25 May 2017, Edinburgh. More information is available here: weblink.

7th International Conference on Ageing and Spirituality

4-7 June 2017, Chicago. More information is available here: weblink.

5th International Public Health & Palliative Care Conference

17-20 September 2017, Ottawa, Canada. More information is available here: weblink.

New Directions in Palliative Medicine: Finding Strength: Challenges and Opportunities for Patients with Neurological and Psychiatric Disorders.

Organised by Strathcarron Hospice. 28 & 29 September 2017, Edinburgh. More information is available here: weblink.

Looking Back, Looking Forward: Marking 40 Years of Palliative Care

Organised by St Columba’s Hospice. 27 October 2017, Edinburgh. More information is available here: weblink.

Courses offered by St Columba’s Hospice, January – April 2017

MSc in Palliative Care: Shadows & Horizons: Advancing Palliative Care Practice

Graduate Certificate in Palliative Care: Caring for the Patient & Family in Palliative Care

More information is available on the St Columba’s Hospice website.

St Margaret of Scotland Hospice courses

For more information about any of the courses below, please contact Margaret Donnelly, Programme Co-ordinator, St Margaret of Scotland Hospice, tel 0141 435 7017.

Symptom Assessment & Management

Starts 5 April 2017

Introduction to Palliative Care

Starts 16 August 2017

Loss, Grief & Bereavement

Starts 13 September 2017

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