Enabling personalised care for those people coming to towards the end of their life is a priority across the North East and Yorkshire. This means supporting people to live well in the last years of their life before dying in the place of their choice with peace and dignity; supporting families and carers through bereavement.

The Integrated Care Systems (ICS)s are committed to improving the experience of patients and those people important to them as they come towards the end of their life. The Strategic Clinical Network Palliative and End of Life Care supports the ICSs in improving patient care. Our programme of work help to make this happen.

If you would like to contact the SCN PEoL please e mail marie.hancock2@nhs.net Senior Quality Improvement Manager.

Who We Are

• We are a Palliative and End of Life Care All Age Network who are working to improve the experience of the people of the North East & Yorkshire region, along with their families and carers.
• We have clinical leadership from Palliative Care Consultants, Primary Care Lead General Practitioners (GPs) and specialist nurses.
• The work of the network is developed together with the SCN PEoLC Board, HEE, ADASS and patient representatives.

What Are Our Aims?

• To address unwarranted variation and promote equity of access to Palliative and End of Life Care Services.
• To have a framework for Palliative and End of Life Care linking with each ICS and their local plans.
• To have an open and honest conversation with citizens to increase public awareness about the importance of thinking about and planning for death, dying and bereavement.
• To support the uptake of personalised care plans and advance care planning (ACP), this can be written documents that explains their wishes and preferences for future care, making what people choose more likely to happen.
• To improve the identification of those people in the last 6-12 months of life and to have their person centred care planned for their individual needs by competent and confident staff.
• To improve electronic record sharing of personalised and holistic care plans, to enable timely care to be delivered in the persons place of choice.
• To share and collectively develop best practice guidance to support timely delivery of care, including for example equipment and prescribed medicines.
• For all citizens of the North East & Yorkshire region identified as being at the end of life, to have their care planned for their individual needs by competent and confident staff in person centred care.
• To improve timely access to Specialist Palliative Care, 7 days , improving weekend and Bank Holiday access.
• To improve bereavement support which meets the needs of the local population.

How Do We Do It?

• Networking and partnership working with ICSs, place-based teams, patients and carers allows us to identify best practice and where improvements can be made.
• Through education and training and events and workshops which share best practice e.g. Lunch & Learn webinars.
• Working with partners at a National and Regional level to draw up best practice guidelines and recommendations.

How Can I Get Involved?

The views of the professionals and the public are very important to us. If you wish to get involved, or need any further information please drop us an email at marie.hancock2@nhs.net