End of Life Care
The Government has published the End of Life Care Strategy promoting high quality care for all adults at the end of life which is the first for the UK and covers adults in England. Its aim is to provide people approaching the end of life with more choice about where they would like to live and die. It encompasses all adults with advanced, progressive illness and care given in all settings. The strategy has been developed by an expert advisory board chaired by Professor Mike Richards, National Cancer Director, and including key stakeholders from statutory health, social care, third sector organisations, professional and academic organisations. The strategy has been informed and shaped by the work on end of life care undertaken by strategic health authorities for the NHS Next Stage Review.
Some people with long term conditions remain in reasonably good health until shortly before their death, with a steep decline in the last few weeks or months of life. Others will experience a more gradual decline, interspersed with episodes of acute ill health from which they may, or may not, recover. A third group are very frail for months or years before death, with a steady progressive decline.
Chapter six of the strategy outlines the need for workforce redesign throughout end of life care and states that a cultural shift in attitude and behaviour related to end of life care must be achieved within the health and social care workforce. Death is inevitable and does not necessarily constitute a failure of care. Indeed, one of the key roles of health and social care staff is to help patients, as far as possible, to come to terms with the transition from life to death. Providing end of life care can evoke strong emotions amongst care givers. Although frequently sad, if staff have the necessary knowledge, skills and attitudes it can also be immensely rewarding.
There is widespread agreement on the importance of workforce development to the overall success of this End of Life Care Strategy and an acknowledgement that there are major deficiencies in the knowledge, skills, attitudes and behaviours of staff groups who come into frequent contact with people at the end of their lives. The focus, therefore, relates more to training and development issues across all the statutory and independent sectors involved in end of life care services, than on an expansion in the workforce.
Patient Pathway
The NHS and Social Care Long Term Conditions Model builds on the wealth of local and international expirences and innovations to improve the health and quality of life of those with long term conditions.
For example, it reflects learning from US models such as Evercare and Kaiser Permanente
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Workforce Planning
Effective workforce planning in long term conditions ensures you will have a workforce of the right size, with the right skills, organised in the right way within the budget that you can afford, delivering services to provide the best possible care.
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End of Life Care
