End of life care initiatives
National End of Life Care Strategy
Gold Standards Framework
Liverpool Care Pathway
National End of Life Care Strategy
In 2008 the Department of Health published its End of Life Care Strategy and this was further supplemented by NHS London publishing its ‘A Framework for London’ which sets out a vision for future healthcare delivery across London including end of life care services.
These documents recommend to organisations and commissioners and planners of care an approach to delivering the very best end of life care from the available evidence. Here is Islington we have re-designed services around these key recommendations and wish to transform and develop these further over the next few years.
If you would like any further information on the national strategy you can access the national programme link to www.endoflifecare.nhs.uk
Gold Standards Framework
This is a community based programme whose aim is to improve how GP’s, community nurses and specialist teams coordinate the care of people with advancing illness. If you require end of life care these professionals will meet regularly and plan how best to support you and facilitate your preferences towards the end of life. They will also keep your details on a special practice register which helps them to be responsive to unexpected events or make sure they are prompting each other to address all aspects of your end of life care.
The Golds Standards Framework (GSF) is being rolled out across the UK and most of the GP practices in Islington are part of this initiative. It has been used within Islington since 2007 and is led by a local GP, Dr Patrick McDaid working in partnership with all the practices involved.
If you would like any further information on the GSF you can access the national programme link to www.goldstandardsframework.nhs.uk
Liverpool Care Pathway (LCP)
This is a clinical tool that professionals in Islington have experience in using with people who are approaching the end of their lives. It was developed by the Marie Curie Centre in Liverpool in the 1990’s and it consists of a sequence of prompts making sure that professionals looking after you approach your care in a thorough and appropriate way. It also can help staff involved with you maintain continuity of care as key conversations and areas of care which are significant to you are highlighted, so there should be no need to repeat information that may be very sensitive.
If you would like any further information on the LCP you can access the national programme link to www.endoflifecare.nhs.uk
