NHS Operational Improvement Plan

Scottish Government has published an NHS Scotland Operational Improvement Plan, which identifies short term priorities for 2025-26.

Read the Plan in full here.

Minister’s Letter about Palliative and End of Life Care

The Minister for Public Health and Women’s Health, Jenni Minto MSP, has responded to a letter from Bob Doris MSP about palliative and end of life care.

Read the Minister’s response in full here.

Letters following evidence session on the Assisted Dying for Terminally Ill Adults (Scotland) Bill 

Following the Committee for Health, Social Care and Sport’s evidence session on assisted dying, several of those who gave evidence have sent letters to the Convenor.

Read the letter from the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care here.

Read the letter from the Royal College of Nursing Scotland here.

Read the letter expressing concern about the Bill in relation to domestic abuse here.

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Updates to Scottish Palliative Care Guidelines

Several topics in the Scottish Palliative Care Guidelines have been updated:

• Symptom Management: Breathlessness; Constipation
• Pain management: People with substance use disorder
• Palliative emergencies: Allergic reaction to opioid
• Good practice guide: Social work

All the guidelines are available here: Scottish Palliative Care Guidelines | Right Decisions. 

Palliative Care Poster Exhibition available to view online

The Poster Exhibition at the SPPC Annual Conference 2024 showcased 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 our blog. This month we highlight these five posters... click on the links to view the posters:

• An audit exploring quality of end-of-life care in the surgical department of a district general hospital
• Assessing and Addressing Spiritual Need
• Ayrshire Hospice Pilot of an Acute Medical Trainees Placement in community palliative care
• Creating, nurturing and sustaining service improvement in Scotland’s hospitals in the shadow of austerity
• Delirium assessment in two hospice inpatient units: An audit of current practice

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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James Lind Alliance Palliative and End of Life Care Refresh

The James Lind Alliance, funded by Marie Curie, has published a report identifying a Top Ten of research priorities for palliative and end of life care. Read more about those here.

As part of the project, an additional paper was produced identifying important research questions best addressed through the social sciences and humanities.

Invitation to Participate – Coping with Death Scale Validation Study 

Palliative and end-of-life care professionals across the UK and Ireland are invited to take part in a research study evaluating the Coping with Death Scale - Short Version (CDS-SV).

Death competency is ‘a range of human skills and capabilities in dealing with death, as well as our beliefs and attitudes about these capabilities’. This study aims to assess how well a tool (the CDS-SV) measures death competency in healthcare settings. Respondents’ input will help ensure the scale is relevant, comprehensive, and appropriate for professionals working in palliative and end-of-life care. 

Participation in the study will involve completing a brief online survey collecting demographic information and taking part in a 45-minute interview on Microsoft Teams, where participants will reflect on the CDS-SV using the think-aloud method. 

Register your interest and answer the survey by 30 April. See this study poster for further details, and feel free to share this with colleagues who may be interested. Please direct any questions to Sarah Kennedy at skennedy2022@qub.ac.uk.

Invitation to Participate - Current Practice and Perspectives of Palliative Care Professionals on Rehabilitation in Palliative Care

The European Association of Palliative Care (EAPC) Rehabilitation in Palliative Care Task Force is seeking respondents to a new survey.

The study aims to explore perspectives and practices of multidisciplinary palliative care professionals across Europe on rehabilitation. It is open to ALL palliative care professionals and does not require you to have a specific interest, knowledge or experience in the field of rehabilitation to participate.

This study is supported by the EAPC and the University of Stirling, Faculty of Health Sciences and Sport. Participation would involve completing an online survey estimated to take 10 minutes.

Find out more and respond to the survey here. The survey closes on 27 April.

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State of Caring in Scotland 2024 report

Carers UK have published State of Caring in Scotland 2024: Health and social care support for unpaid carers, which explores the lives and experiences of unpaid carers.  

Read the report in full here.

Watch back: “Crisis Prevention not Crisis Management: the health and wellbeing of parents and children with life-limiting conditions” webinar

MAIN recently hosted a webinar by Sue Hogg (Children’s Hospices Across Scotland), Lorna Fraser and Victoria Fisher (Cicely Saunders Institute, Kings College London). The webinar presented research on the experiences of mothers and fathers when a child has a terminal illness. It also gave voice to the experiences of the children and their siblings.

Watch the recording here.

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Demystifying Death Week (5-11 May) is about shining a light on death, dying and bereavement in Scotland. 

We welcome new activities and events as part of Demystifying Death Week. If you’re interested in getting involved, please check out our website for more information on how to hold an event. 

Guides for event organisers

We have put together a series of guides to support people to design and hold Demystifying Death Week events:

• Designing your event
• Facilitation skills
• Event Ideas: templates and activities
• Hosting an online event: hints and tips

New resource for Demystifying Death Week 2025: Escape Room

Powers, Puzzles and Prescience is a new Escape Room for Demystifying Death Week. Undertaken by teams of 3-5 people, participants are challenged to unravel a super-hero themed mystery by finding clues and solving puzzles. Along the way teams will encounter family dynamics, future care planning, caring responsibilities and aging in the 21st century. 

We can send you everything you need to run Powers, Puzzles and Prescience, free of charge. More information is available here: Escape Room

Other resources

Find a selection of event resources, short films, discussion prompts, and information leaflets on our website here: Hold an event | Good Life, Good Death, Good Grief

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Watch back: The Future of Social Care online discussion

As part of the on-going NHS2048 series of work looking at health and social care reform, Reform Scotland recently hosted an online discussion with Dr Donald Macaskill, Chief Executive of Scottish Care.

Watch the recording of the discussion here.

HIS report on emergency departments within NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde

Healthcare Improvement Scotland has published an independent review of emergency departments within NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde. Their report makes 30 recommendations for NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde. The findings also have national implications with a further 11 recommendations for Scottish Government and national agencies.

Read the report in full here.

Social Security Scotland’s Special Rules for Terminal Illness / BASRiS Stakeholder Event

This free online stakeholder information event on 7 May will inform practitioners and professionals how and when a Benefits Assessment Under Special Rules in Scotland (BASRiS) form should be completed, as set out in guidance published by Scotland’s Chief Medical Officer.  

Find out more information about this event or book a place here.

If you have any questions about any of the events or difficulty booking a place, then please contact the Partnership and Events Team at: stakeholderengagement@socialsecurity.gov.scot. 

UK Benefit Reforms: What Does This Mean for Terminally Ill People in Scotland?

The University of Glasgow’s End of Life Studies Group has published a blog post discussing the implications of the benefit reforms on terminally ill people in Scotland.

Read the blog post in full here.

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Healthcare Conferences UK: Professional Development Conferences & Masterclasses

Organised by Healthcare Conferences UK. For dates and times of individual sessions, see below. Readers of this newsletter can receive a 20% discount with the code hcuk20sppc.

• Controlled Drugs: Ensuring the Safer Management, Diversion & Abuse, Prescribing and Use. Tuesday 22 April 2025, online. For further information and to book your place visit the course webpage or email aman@hc-uk.org.uk
• Patient Safety in Hospices Wednesday 17 June 2025.  For further information and to book your place visit the conference webpage email emily@hc-uk.org.uk
• Improving Adult Bereavement Care, Support & Services Thursday 26 June 2025. For further information and to book your place visit the conference webpage or email petra@hc-uk.org.uk

Social Security Scotland’s Pension Age Disability Payment Stakeholder Events

Organised by Social Security Scotland. Pension Age Disability Payment is replacing Attendance Allowance in Scotland. SSS are offering a free online stakeholder information event to share details on Pension Age Disability Payment. These sessions will be online. Dates and times, as well as registration links, are below:

• Pension Age Disability Payment Stakeholder Event - National Rollout Tickets, Tue 8 Apr 2025 at 10:00 | Eventbrite
• Pension Age Disability Payment Stakeholder Event - National Rollout Tickets, Wed 16 Apr 2025 at 13:00 | Eventbrite

Save the Date: National Primary Care Improvement Event

Organised by Healthcare Improvement Scotland. Thursday 27 March 2025 (09.30am- 4.30pm), Assembly Rooms, 54 George Street, Edinburgh, EH2 2LR.

Please register your interest here.

NES Annual Conference 2025 - Learning for Change: Tackling Health Inequity through Education and Workplace Learning

Organised by NHS Education for Scotland. Thursday 24th - Friday 25th April 2025, online.

For more information and to register, please visit the conference website.

Training course: LGBTQ+ Inclusivity in Ageing and Dementia

Organised by the University of Stirling’s Dementia Services Development Centre. Training will take place at the Dementia Services Development Centre, Iris Murdoch Building, University of Stirling FK9 4LA.

This training will take place on 12 June 2025. Click on the date to find out more and to book your place.

Demystifying Death Week 2025

Demystifying Death Week will take place across Scotland 5-11 May. Find out more and get involved here: Demystifying Death Week 

Social Security Scotland’s Special Rules for Terminal Illness / BASRiS Stakeholder Event

Organised by Social Security Scotland. Wednesday 7 May 2025, 13:00-15:00, online. Register your place here.

Children’s Palliative Care Conference: “Build to Last”

Organised by Together for Short Lives’. 7-8 May 2025, Manchester. The conference is aimed at recognising and sharing best practice within children’s palliative care. More information is available here.

Association of Continence Professionals Annual Conference and Networking Exhibition

Organised by Fitwise Management ltd. 19- 20 May 2025, Milton Keynes.

More Information available here.

NES Bereavement Webinar: Getting Bereavement Right Every Time

Organised by NHS Education for Scotland’s Bereavement team. Wednesday 11 June, 1-3pm, online. A free 2-hour webinar for health & social care staff. 

Find out more and register here.

Save the Date: The Future of Bereavement Support in Scotland

Organised by the Bereavement Charter Group. 28 August. More details to follow.

NES Bereavement Education Programme - 10 year anniversary event

Organised by NHS Education for Scotland. Thursday 18 September, 1:30-3:30pm, online via MS Teams. 

Find out more information and register here.

Save the Date: NES Bereavement Education Conference 2025

Organised by NHS Education for Scotland. Tuesday 11th November, online. More details about registration, abstract submission and the programme will be available in the coming months.

Save the Date: SPPC Annual Conference 2025

The next SPPC annual conference will take place on Wednesday 12 November 2025 at the John McIntyre Conference Centre, Edinburgh. Further details will be announced in the coming months.

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