Issue - items at meetings - End of Life Pathways

Update Report from the CCG

112.1    Geraldine Hoban and Nicky Daborn from the CCG presented on the four workstreams for end of life/ palliative care. These included Sussex End of Life Care and Dementia Project; the Palliative Care Partnership; Primary Care, and the Liverpool Care Pathway (LCP).

112.2    Paul Somerville spoke on behalf of Sussex Community Trust who provide palliative care services in conjunction with Martlets. The service helps avoid unnecessary hospital admissions, and saves many thousands of pounds in doing so, as well as ensuring that 80% of patients had their preferred places of death adhered to. SCT and Martlets had produced literature to help patients and families think about their End of Life care.

112.3    There was a discussion over the merits of the Liverpool Care Pathway; some felt that there were many positive factors but that the lack of communication meant that these had been overlooked. There were concerns about the impact of the backlash on patients who were currently at the end of their lives.

Ms Daborn said that the communication problems meant that people lost confidence in the LCP. The CCG had ensured that all providers followed the principles of good palliative care and emphasised good communication within that. They were waiting for national guidance on what should replace LCP. Ms Hoban commented that there had been positive elements to the LCP and this should not be lost or overlooked.

112.4    Members asked how metrics were measured. Ms Daborn said that Martlets surveyed relatives six weeks after a death had occurred. There was a Gold Standard Framework for the post-death review. Ms Daborn suggested that they could put the results of the publicly available information on the CCG website; this was welcomed.

112.5    The Chair asked the CCG to keep HWOSC members updated with progress as it was known. This was agreed.