Proposed Revisions to the National Outcomes Framework

Scottish Government has proposed to the Scottish Parliament some revisions to the National Outcomes Framework, and the Scottish Parliament Finance and Public Administration Committee is currently seeking views on these proposals. The deadline for responses to the Scottish Parliament's consultation is 28 June 2024, and more information is available here: National Performance Framework: Inquiry into proposed National Outcomes

The proposals include the following reference to end of life as part of the extended definition of the health outcome:

"We provide compassionate and respectful care until the end of life to improve wellbeing in all circumstances." 

The full revised outcomes can be found here.

SPPC's earlier suggestions to Scottish Government about what should be included in the revision can be found here. 

Proposed Right to Palliative Care (Scotland) Bill

A proposal for a Members Bill for a right to palliative care was launched in March, led by Miles Briggs MSP, with cross-party support from Bob Doris MSP and Rhoda Grant MSP. A public consultation on the proposal is open until 4 June 2024. There is more information on Scottish Parliament and Marie Curie websites, including a short guide to support you to respond to the consultation. 

A Manifesto for Palliative and End-of-Life Care

Sue Ryder, Hospice UK, Marie Curie, Together for Short Lives and the National Bereavement Alliance have published a joint Manifesto for Palliative and End-of-Life Care addressed to UK party leaders on the occasion of Dying Matters/Demystifying Death Week (6-12 May). 

Read the joint letter in full here.

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SPPC Poster Parade

The SPPC Palliative Care Poster Parade is an online collection of posters showcasing best practice and new initiatives to improve experiences of living with serious illness, dying and bereavement in Scotland and further afield. All of the posters are available to view on the SPPC website, and each month we'll highlight a few on the SPPC blog and in this e-bulletin. This month we focus on:

• A Palliative Care Virtual Ward – A viable, safe, supportive alternative to dying in a hospice 
• A Walk with Absent Friends’ A collaborative public art installation on loss, death, and care
• Addressing Terminal Agitation: A multidisciplinary approach to enhancing patient care and team support
• An audit of anticipatory care planning in patients with advanced liver disease and an investigation into the effects of having an advanced liver disease multi-disciplinary meeting on anticipatory care planning
• An innovative approach to develop and offer a training programme across services and boundaries based on what matters to service users, carers and staff
• An innovative, equitable approach to improve awareness of and access to supportive and palliative services and digital resources based on what matters to service users, carers and staff across Ayrshire and Arran
• Bridging Cultural Divides in Palliative Care: A Framework for Shared Decision-Making and Care Ethics in a Resource-Constrained Environment

The SPPC blog is a space to share practice currently underway in Scotland. If you have practice you'd like to share, please get in touch.

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Call for Abstracts - "Bereavement in the modern world: Kindness in the chaos"

NHS Education for Scotland’s Bereavement Education Programme is hosting its fifth Bereavement Education conference on Tuesday 3 December 2024. This free-to-attend virtual international conference is for all those working across health and social care. 

Conference organisers welcome abstracts for the hosting of parallel sessions and for an e-poster exhibition. Further information about the conference, including how to submit an abstract and the relevant deadlines, can be found on the NES Events website.

For any questions and/or to request email notification when conference registration opens, please contact events@nes.scot.nhs.uk.

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EASE Short Film is Launched

A short film has been launched to promote the End of Life Aid Skills for Everyone (EASE) Course.

EASE is a public education course run by Scottish Partnership for Palliative Care. It’s for anyone who’d like to feel more comfortable and confident supporting people who are caring, dying or grieving. The course is delivered free of charge by volunteer facilitators across Scotland, and aims to build a sense of community, emphasising the value of peer sharing and discussion alongside formal course materials.  

The short film, An Introduction to EASE, can be watched and shared from HERE.

SPPC workplan

Are you interested to read what SPPC will be doing over the next 12 months? SPPC has published its annual workplan, which was approved by Council at its last meeting. 

You can see the plan here: SPPC workplan 

SPPC online workshop on the Assisted Dying for Terminally Ill Adults Bill

SPPC will be holding an online workshop on the Assisted Dying for Terminally Ill Adults Bill, 2.30pm – 4.30pm, Monday 17^th June. 

The purpose of the workshop is to provide a space for stakeholders to discuss the provisions of the Bill and for SPPC to hear views and perspectives which can inform our submission of evidence to the Scottish Parliament. More detail to follow.

It would be helpful to know if you plan to attend the workshop, and also whether you have a preference for Teams or Zoom. Please reply to pauline@palliativecarescotland.org.uk.

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Hospice UK: new five year strategy and brand

Hospice UK has launched its new five year strategy and brand. More information is available here.

Macmillan Education and Training

Pain Scenarios now includes a scenario specifically aimed at Ambulance Clinicians. This was developed in collaboration with colleagues from the Ambulance Service and provides a case study for ambulance clinicians to assess their knowledge around pain management and end of life care.

Episode 5 of The Cancer Professionals Podcast explores the weight of empathy: understanding vicarious trauma in cancer care. Dr Karen Campbell, President of the UK Oncology Nursing Society and Associate Professor in cancer nursing, and Lisa Nel, practising therapist, clinical supervisor, and independent trainer explore the widespread but often unrecognized issue of vicarious trauma in cancer. (Also available on Spotify and Apple Podcasts).

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DeathWrites Public Symposium

Organised by the University of Glasgow. 7 June 2024, 6pm-9pm. Glasgow/online.

An evening event filled with thought-provoking discussions and engaging readings about dying, death, grief and loss. Tickets are available here: weblink

SPPC online workshop on the Assisted Dying for Terminally Ill Adults Bill

Organised by SPPC. Monday 17^th June, 2.30pm – 4.30pm, online.

It would be helpful to know if you plan to attend the workshop, and also whether you have a preference for Teams or Zoom. Please reply to pauline@palliativecarescotland.org.uk

Webinar: Managing Cancer and Living Meaningfully (CALM): A Psychotherapeutic Approach to Life-Threatening and Advanced Disease

Organised by University of Edinburgh. 17 June 2024, 1pm, online.

Register for free here: Microsoft Virtual Events Powered by Teams

Cross Party Group in the Scottish Parliament on Palliative Care

18 June 2024, online and in person in Edinburgh.

More information is available here: weblink.

3rd Annual End-of-Life Doula International Research Symposium

Organised by the End of Life Doula International Research Group. 1-2 July, Glasgow (online and in person). 

More information is available here: weblink

Celebrating CommUnity in Palliative and End of Life Care

Organised by Compassionate Communities UK. 2-3 July, Rugeley.

More information is available here: weblink.

Supporting Staff Bereavement in the Workplace

Organised by Healthcare Conferences UK. 10 July 2024, online.

For further information and to book your place visit the website or email kam@hc-uk.org.uk.

Improving End of Life Care for people with Cardiovascular Disease & Heart Failure

Organised by Healthcare Conferences UK. 13 September 2024, online.

For further information and to book your place, visit the website or email frida@hc-uk.org.uk.

Supporting and Improving Communication in End of Life Care

Organised by Healthcare Conferences UK. 25 September 2024, online. 

For further information and to book your place, visit the website or email aman@hc-uk.org.uk.

Palliative Care: Looking through a different lens

Organised by Strathcarron Hospice.  2-3 September 2024, Edinburgh.

More information is available here: weblink.

8th Public Health Palliative Care International Conference: "Building Bridges Between Science and People"

Organised by PHPCI International. 22-25 October, Bern, Switzerland.

Find out more at the conference website.

To Absent Friends Festival

Initiated by Good Life, Good Death, Good Grief. 1-7 November across Scotland. A people's festival of storytelling and remembrance, with events organised by communities and organisations across Scotland. More information is available here: To Absent Friends festival

SPPC Annual Conference

SPPC’s annual conference will take place on Wednesday 6^th November. We hope to see you there! Watch this space for further details.

European Grief Conference 2024

Organised by the Irish Hospice Foundation with partners Bereavement Network Europe, Danish National Center for Grief and RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences. Dublin, Ireland, 11-13 November 2024. 

Registration for the conference is now open here.

Find out more at the conference website.

NES Bereavement Conference: Bereavement in the modern world: Kindness in the chaos

Organised by NHS Education for Scotland’s Bereavement Education Programme. 3 December 2024, online. 

This virtual international conference is for all those working across health and social care. More information is available here: weblink.

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