The last days of life in hospital can be traumatic for dying patients and their loved ones. At our hospital, the needs and wishes of the dying person and those close to them are paramount - and we work to ensure that they receive high quality focused care in their last few days and hours of life.
To help us achieve this, we have developed an End of Life Care Strategy - based on national best practice – and our own ambition to ensure that patients reaching the end of their life, and their loved ones, are listened to and cared for in a compassionate, supportive way.
The strategy is based on the foundations of the ‘six ambitions’ for end of life care, developed by the National Palliative and End of Life Care Partnership.
The strategy was driven by our commitment to continuous improvement.
In 2015, the Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspected the hospital and gave the Trust an overall rating of “good”. The inspection report highlighted several areas where inspectors felt we could improve the service we offer our patients. These included the roll out of an ‘end of life’ care plan across the hospital.
This has been done – and wards across the hospital are now using our Plan of Care for the Last Days of Life to ensure that all care delivery decisions are recorded as well as the outcome of conversations with patients and their families so that their needs are taken into account.
The James Paget work with the Anne Robson Trust to provide Butterfly Volunteers within the Trust. Butterfly Volunteers provide compassionate company and companionship to hospital patients in the last days and hours of their lives. They are trained to undertake the role and have knowledge of the hospital.
The James Paget adopted The Swan Model in 2019 to enhance care for people approaching the end of life and their families. Originally developed at The Pennine Acute Hospitals NHS Trust, the Swan Model offers dedicated support to patients in the last days of life and their loved ones. The model is designed to give a personalised approach that is all about the little things that can make a patient’s stay more comfortable.