‘Dying patients can struggle to get out-of-hours support’
Only one health board provides a complete round-the-clock service
MOST health boards in Scotland are failing to provide special support for dying patients during evenings and weekends, an investigation has found.
Just one out of 15 health authorities provides a “comprehensive service” out of hours for dying patients and families to turn to from home, according to the research by hospice charity Sue Ryder.
The charity says its survey found nine health boards, including NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, do not provide “any meaningful 24/7 support for people who are dying and their family and carers”.
Others have dedicated helplines staffed by nurses who are experts in palliative care.
Pamela Mackenzie, director of Sue Ryder in Scotland, said: “Imagine, if you are looking after your loved one in their final weeks and at 3am one night, they suddenly become distressed and struggle to breathe.
“Rather than calling 999 or NHS24, if you can speak to someone who specialises in palliative care and ideally knows your family member’s history and wishes, they will give you appropriate advice.
“This means you can try to keep your loved one at home rather than being admitted to hospital as an emergency and all the stress that this would entail.”
A national action plan for end-oflife care was launched in Scotland in 2008.
It highlighted concern about the way dying patients accessed healthcare when GP surgeries were shut.
Last year, a review of out-ofhours care commissioned by the Scottish Government concluded: “People at the end of life and their carers should be able to directly access care and assistance, by local helpline on a 24/7 basis, without recourse to national NHS 24 triage.”
Using Freedom of Information legislation, Sue Ryder asked all Scottish health boards if they provided expert palliative care advice by phone and via the internet 24/7.
It found that only Lanarkshire provided a comprehensive service around the clock.
Lothian, Ayrshire and Arran, Forth Valley, Grampian and Highland, excluding Argyll and Bute, provided a partial service. This meant, for example, there was phone or online help, or the service was limited to those people known to hospices.
The other authorities are described as not providing any meaningful support on a 24/7 basis.
A Scottish Government spokeswoman said: “We look forward to working with Sue Ryder and others to support the implementation of the national commitments to ensure that by 2021 – supported by £3.5 million over the next four years – everyone in Scotland who needs palliative care will have access to it.
“The implementation of strategy is in its first year.
“A number of NHS boards provide support, including Fife and Greater Glasgow, both of which have 24/7 ‘fast track’ support services, operated by and with Marie Curie.
“Community nursing teams in Shetland also offer a 365-days-ayear service for patients dying at home.” this