Redesign of NHS end of life services

THE NHS in Peterborough has redesigned its end of life care services to give more support to patients, families and carers.

New facilities when GP surgeries are closed, and the services of a keyworker for each individual patient, are among the additions.

Dr Peter Hadfield, local GP lead for the Marie Curie Delivering Choice for Peterborough programme - Coordinate My Care - said: “We want to make people aware of the valuable services in our local community that support patients requiring end of life care.

“This week is about ending the isolation of people who are dying and helping them to openly express their wishes.

“The more we know about people’s concerns and what they need, the better we can deliver local services to help them and ease their distress.

“Don’t be afraid to talk about dying, particularly with a health care professional who will offer sensitive and confidential advice and ensure their patients access the right services for their needs and choices.”

The additional services, launched by NHS Peterborough and Cambridgeshire Community Services NHS Trust as part of the Marie Curie Delivering Choice for Peterborough programme, include:

A Care Co-ordination Centre, providing an information hub for health and social care staff and a contact point for palliative care patients and their carers. The service is available Monday to Friday, am - 5pm.

Urgent Palliative Care Service This service supports patients and carers when their GP surgery is closed. A skilled nurse provides advice and support, and can respond rapidly in a crisis. Health care professionals can also contact the service if they are concerned about a palliative care patient. The team operates Monday to Friday from 4pm to 8am and over weekends when GP surgeries are closed.

In addition, each palliative patient has a keyworker responsible for organising their care, so they always have someone to contact. They also support the patient by ensuring their wishes for their preferred place of care and death are met.

Service Manager Chris Cooper of the Community Nursing Service said: “We have developed our services to provide palliative care patients with direct access to the services they need, when they need them, to avoid crisis events and unnecessary hospital admissions.

“We are also supporting health professionals so they can focus on the patients, and provide a central point of contact which improves the co-ordination of services from GPS, district and community nurses, Macmillan nurses and nursing home staff.”

Jacqueline Jacobs, project manager for Delivering Choice at NHS Peterborough said: “These services were set up to give patients and their families dignity, choice and improved support during illness, death and afterwards.

“Working with Cambridgeshire Community Services NHS Trust, we have developed existing services to support patients to receive end of life care close to home, manage and avoid crisis and ensure patients can be transferred home swiftly.

“The new services help coordinate and integrate care in the community with skilled professionals supporting patients at home, and provide information, advice and support to patients and their families.”

Palliative care patients will be advised about these new services by their GP or health worker. If you would like more information please speak to your health worker.