Caring for patients who are approaching the end of life Ipswich Hospital NHS Trust

Involving patients, and their families where appropriate, in decisions about care, particularly in relation to the choice of place to die, can improve their experience of care at an anxious and difficult time.

The two key objectives of this project were:

• Provide person-centred care: give all patients access to the specialist services they need, whenever and wherever they are receiving care. Put the patient at the centre of all decision making.
• Involve family and carers: with patients’ agreement, involve family and carers in their ongoing support.

To do this the project team:

• carried out a review of the care pathway, building in best practice already existing in pockets within the hospital
• undertook staff training
• developed patient and carer information
• ensured patients and carers were given a choice of place to die.

Benefits

The expected benefits of the project were:

• improved staff attitudes and confidence
• improved documentation
• improved communication with, and support for, families
• streamlined processes of care
• better environments for care.

Who was involved

The project team and steering group included broad clinical and non-clinical representation as well as input from patient representatives, user groups and charities such as Age UK and Alzheimer's Society.