Consultation: revised guidance on decision making and consent

The GMC is consulting on revised guidance for doctors on decision making and consent which explains the good practice principles for making decisions about care. The closing date is 23 January 2019.

Talking about dying report

The Royal College of Physicians has published Talking about dying, a report aiming to offer advice and support for any doctor on holding conversations with patients much earlier after the diagnosis of a progressive or terminal condition, including frailty.

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Call for abstracts: 6^th Public Health Palliative Care International Conference

The 6^th PHPCI Conference is inviting the submission of abstracts for oral presentations, poster presentations or workshops, or proposals for creative or arts-based contributions. The title of the conference is Compassionate Communities in Action: Re-claiming ageing, dying and grieving. The closing date is 25 January 2019.

Poster abstracts of the month

The SPPC Annual Conference in 2017 featured 46 poster displays, sharing work and research underway across Scotland. Each month, this blog focuses on the content of a few of these posters. This month, we focus on five of these:

• Patients, carers and healthcare professionals’ perceptions and experiences of managing metastatic spinal cord compression: a qualitative multiple case study
• Person-centred care – at the heart of what we do
• Proactive Discharge - a person-centred approach to wellbeing within a hospice day service
• 'Putting Activity Back into Life: The Inception of a Wellbeing Group'
• Relational elements of end of life anticipatory care planning (ACP): implementation in Dumfries and Galloway

A full list of posters from the 2017 SPPC Annual Conference is available here: Poster displays 2017.

Sharing your practice

The SPPC hosts a 'sharing current Scottish practice' blog as a platform 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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Reducing emergency hospital admissions:a population health complex intervention of an enhanced model of primary care and compassionate communities

By Julian Abel, Helen Kingston, Andrew Scally, Jenny Hartnoll, Gareth Hannam, Alexandra Thomson-Moore and Allan Kellehear.

This paper aims to evaluate a population health complex intervention of an enhanced model of primary care and compassionate communities on population health improvement and reduction of emergency admissions to hospital. British Journal of General Practice, November 2018.DOI: https://doi.org/10.3399/bjgp18X699437

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“Who would want to die like that?” Perspectives on dying alone in a long-term care setting

Genevieve Thompson, Chloe Shindruk, Abigail Wickson-Griffiths, Tamara Sussman, Paulette Hunter, Susan McClement, Harvey Chochinov, Lynn McCleary,Sharon Kaasalainen & Lorraine Venturato.

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To Absent Friends Festival

To Absent Friends is on its way. The annual festival of storytelling and remembrance takes place from 1 - 7 November, creating opportunities for people to remember loved ones who have died.

Set to be the biggest year so far, a list of this year’s events can be found on the To Absent Friends website. Participation in the festival is open to all, and some ideas about how to get involved are available here: Get Involved

Scottish Partnership for Palliative Care Annual Conference 2018

Wednesday 28 November, Royal College of Physicians Edinburgh

Book now to secure your place at this year's SPPC Annual Conference. Click here for a full programme and to book a place. Speakers include:

• Suresh Kumar, Director of WHO Collaborating Center for Community Participation in Palliative Care, and Long Term Care & Technical Adviser at the Institute of Palliative Medicine, Kerala, India.
• Christian Juul Busch, Hospital Chaplain, Copenhagen University Hospital
• Kristian Pollock, Professor of Medical Sociology, Nottingham Centre for the Advancement of Research into Supportive, Palliative and End of Life Care
• Donald MacAskill, Chief Executive, Scottish Care
• Deans Buchanan, Consultant in Palliative Medicine
• Paul Baughan, GP and Clinical Leade for Palliative and End of Life Care (iHub)
• Paul Gray, Director General for Health and Social Care for the Scottish Government and Chief Executive of NHSScotland

There will also be an extensive poster display, Arts Space, and break-out sessions on the topics of human rights, cirhossis, mindfulness meditation and ReSPECT.

For more information and to book a place, visit the SPPC Conference webpage.

Launch of Scottish Compassionate Communities Network

The new Scottish Compassionate Communities Network launched with a sold-out event in Edinburgh on 8^th October. The network is for people and organisations who want to get involved in practical work to build compassion in their own community, with a particular focus on improving people's experiences of deteriorating health, death, dying and bereavement. The launch event featured a presentation from Fiona Garven, Director of the Scottish Community Development Centre. Delegates had the chance to meet each other, make connections, and to discuss the potential creation of a Scottish Compassionate Communities toolkit. To keep updated on the progress of the network, sign up (free) as a member here: Scottish Compassionate Communities Network.

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Bereavement support in Scotland

Sue Ryder and Hospice UK have published Bereavement support in Scotland, a report outlining the results of their survey of bereaved people and making recommendations on how to improve bereavement support in Scotland.

Global Palliative Care Day

The University of Edinburgh, Cairdeas International Palliative Care Trust and the International Children’s Palliative Care Network are organising a global palliative care day on 29 November 2018 at the University of Edinburgh.

Kilbride Hospice beds

Kilbryde Hospice has recently opened specialist inpatient palliative care beds at its East Kilbride facility. Kilbryde Hospice will have 12 specialist inpatient beds for the benefit of those who require specialist inpatient palliative care support.

Quality Governance Collaborative - Fellowship Programme

The Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh's Quality Governance Collaborative Fellowship is now inviting applications for its inaugural programme. The aim of the programme is to develop future leaders in governance and quality, equipped with the authority and ability to advance change in their organisations and beyond.

Making Memories Exhibition at Victoria Hospice

The ‘Making Memories’ art exhibition will showcase the talents of people attending the Victoria Hospice, Kirkcaldy day hospice and will feature a varied collection of creative works including fused glass, paintings, textiles, mixed media and printmaking. ‘Making Memories’ will be on display at FifeSpace Gallery, Rothes Halls, from 8 October-30 December. Entry is free of charge.

In the media:

BBC News: Let down by 'agonising' end-of-life care

BBC News: End of life care: How to talk about dying to someone who is dying

BBC News: 'I'm a friend at the end - why I became a death doula'

Daily Record: Kilbryde Hospice open specialist inpatient palliative care beds

Evening News: Glasgow hospice built with love and determination

Mirror: Even the dying forced to wait for Universal Credit as 5-week delay hits cancer patients

Press & Journal: New research shows bereaved people in Scotland are not receiving enough help

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In each edition of Update we try to end with something a little bit thought-provoking or different... This month, Document Human Rights Film Festival...

The SPPC is pleased to be supporting the Document Human Rights Film Festival which takes place in Glasgow from 30 November - 2 December. In particular, we're pleased to be contributing to a discussion following a showing of ISLAND.

"Filmed over 12 months on the Isle of Wight, ISLAND is a life-affirming  reflection on the phenomena of dying that observes the last days and hours of life and the moment of death."

The event takes place at 11am on Friday 30th November at the Scottish Youth Theatre, 105 Brunswick Street, Glasgow G1 1TF.

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SPPC Annual Conference 2018: The Sense of an Ending: stories, meanings and understanding

Bookings are now open for the Scottish Partnership for Palliative Care Annual Conference, which will take place on Wednesday 28 November 2018 at the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh. More information, including confirmed speakers, is available here: weblink

Save the date: Compassionate Communities Scotland Conference 2019

2 May 2019, Glasgow. Organised by Scottish Partnership for Palliative Care and Good Life, Good Death, Good Grief. More details to follow.

Making Memories Exhibition at Victoria Hospice

Organised by Victoria Hospice, Kirkcaldy. FifeSpace Gallery, Rothes Halls, from 8 October-30 December. Entry is free of charge.

Scotland 2030: Death and Dying

Organised by the Scottish Futures Forum. 6 November 2018, Edinburgh. More information is available here: weblink.

Developing Emotional Resilience Course

Organised by St Margaret of Scotland Hospice. Starts on 7^th November 2018. For more information, please contact Margaret Donnelly.

Malcolm Goldsmith Lecture: Rev Canon Dr Joseph John Morrow

Organised by Faith in Older People 8 November 2018, Edinburgh. Please email Faith in Older People to register.

Choices when living and dying with a terminal condition - what is the reality?

Organised by the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow, 9 November 2018. More information is available here: weblink.

Improving End of Life Care for People with Dementia

12 November 2018, London. Organised by Health Conferences UK. More information is available here: weblink.

National Conference: Diversity and Inclusion in Bereavement Support

Organised by Child Bereavement UK. 15 November 2018, Manchester. More information is available here: weblink.

National Care Home Conference, Exhibition & Awards 2018

Organised by Scottish Care. 16 November 2018, Glasgow. More information is available here: weblink.

Global Palliative Care Day

Organised by University of Edinburgh, Cairdeas International Palliative Care Trust and the International Children’s Palliative Care Network. 29 November 2018, Edinburgh. More information is available here: weblink.

ISLAND (film screening followed by discussion with the Director)

Organised by the Document Human Rights Film Festival. 11am, Friday 30 November, Scottish Youth Theatre, 105 Brunswick Street, Glasgow.

Caldicott Principles & Information Sharing in End of Life Care

3 December 2018, London. Organised by Healthcare Conferences UK. More information is available here: weblink.

Effective Non-Medical Prescribing in End of Life Care

5 December 2018, Manchester. Organised by Healthcare Conferences UK. More information is available here: weblink.

Alzheimer Scotland Winter Lecture: Myths & Dreams

Professor Karen Ritchie, Research Director, French Institute of Medical Research (INSERM). 10 December, Glasgow. More information is available here: weblink.

Grief and bereavement in schools

Organised by Child Bereavement UK. 21 March 2019, Glasgow. More information is available here: weblink.

Children and young people – loss, death and grief

Organised by Child Bereavement UK. 3 April 2019, Dumfries. More information is available here: weblink.

St Margaret of Scotland Hospice courses

A full list of courses delivered by St Margaret of Scotland Hospice is available on their website.

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