VBA, very brief advice framework for GPs to provide a consistent and compassionate response to grieving patients - England, Wales, and NI (216 KB, PDF) At the age of thirty-six, on the verge of completing a decade’s training as a neurosurgeon, Paul Kalanithi was diagnosed with inoperable lung cancer. One day he was a doctor treating the dying, the next he was a patient struggling to live. Approximately 1% of the UK’s population die each year, and within that population the majority of deaths can be predicted. Evidence has found that early identification of patients who are likely to die within the next 12 months often enables well coordinated, From the Sunday Times bestselling author of Your Life in My Hands comes this vibrant, tender and deeply personal memoir that finds light and love in the darkest of places. Supporting your patient through loss(animation): overview guide for practices on tips to strengthen bereavement support. These include supporting bereaved people to ask for help from the

Featuring an increased emphasis on non-malignant diseases such as dementia, this authoritative text combines evidence-based care with the bedside experience of experienced palliative care professionals to give the reader a complete overview of the physical, emotional, and spiritual aspects of care for the end-of-life patient. Symptom management is covered in detail, with updated formulary tables and syringe driver protocols, and a new chapter on international perspectives to broaden the reader’s perception of methods for delivering end-of-life care. Palliativedrugs.comprovides essential independent information for health professionals about drugs used in palliative and hospice care The Golden Standard Framework (GSF) Proactive Identification Guidance provides trigger questions and guidance for initiating end of life support Palliative Care Guidelinesdeveloped by a collaboration of UK Cancer networks, and the Welsh Palliative Care Implementation Group It’s good practice to speak with the other professionals involved in the person’s care regularly. Every local area has a system that allows professionals to share information for each individual receiving end of life care. This includes a summary care record that you can access securely online or notes and care plans in the home, if the person consents to having their information shared in this way.

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To access shared learning networks to assist you in applying practical QI methodologies to better treat this clinical area, join our QI Ready platform. Good Life, Good Death, Good GriefEncouraging open discussions about death and planning ahead in Scotland Implementing the RCGP and RCN patient charter (1.7 MB PDF) (clinical resources and guidance for practices)

What are the things that make life joyful? What and who do they value the most? What makes life worth living for them?” This groundwork is essential to making sure someone is able to make meaningful choices, and prepare as well as they can for the latter years and end of their life.The third edition of the Oxford Handbook of Palliative Care is the essential companion for all of those working with adults, children, and families with palliative care needs, in both hospital and community settings. A range of bereavement resources aimed to help general practice provide information and signposting to bereaved patients and families. Paediatric Palliative Medicine FormularyDosing information to support prescribing in paediatric palliative care What to expect when someone important to you is dying A guide for carers, families and friends of dying people Told through a series of beautifully crafted stories taken from nearly four decades of clinical practice, her book answers the most intimate questions about the process of dying with touching honesty and humanity. She makes a compelling case for the therapeutic power of approaching death not with trepidation but with openness, clarity and understanding.

The following resources may be used to determine if a patient is nearing the end of life, and give recommendations of how treatment should be tailored to their specific requirements. Advanced care planning in 5 simple steps. A video to help ensure people receive the care they want when they need it

What is the RCGP and Marie Curie Daffodil Standards?

Supportive and Palliative Care Indicator Toolis a guide to identifying people with one or more advanced conditions, deteriorating health and at risk of dying for assessment and care planning Top Tips Communication skills for GPs (330 KB PDF) - Communication skills are crucial for effective care planning and avoiding complaints at the end of life Macmillan LearnZone a variety of free learning resources, online courses and professional development tools Public Health England’s National End of Life Care Intelligence Networkfor commissioning information

Helping someone plan and prepare for the best end of life experience possible is about so much more than DNACPR forms. It’s about having meaningful conversations over time and supporting them to think carefully about what matters most to them. When Breath Becomes Air chronicles Kalanithi’s transformation from a medical student asking what makes a virtuous and meaningful life into a neurosurgeon working in the core of human identity – the brain – and finally into a patient and a new father.Palliative care has been part of healthcare for over fifty years but we still find ourselves having to explain its nature and practice to colleagues and to the public in general. Healthcare education and training has been slow to recognize the vital importance of ensuring that all practitioners have a good understanding of what is involved in the care of people with serious or advanced illnesses and their families. However, the science of palliative care is advancing and our understanding concerning many aspects of palliative care is developing rapidly. These resources may be shared with patients who have been diagnosed as likely to die within the next 12 months. They provide information for the patient to plan ahead and decide on their care pathway.