End of Life Care

Clinical guidance and support

Guidance for clinical symptom control in palliative care

There are a number of locally available national clinical guidelines in symptom control and medical treatments some listed below. If you are uncertain, discuss these with your local speciality palliative care team. Of particular note is the new downloadable Palliapp.

 

NICE Quality Standards for End of Life Care


Palliative Care Drugs

 

Further specific guidance on medication is given below:

 

Palliative Drugs

Essential independent drug information for palliative and hospice care

 

GP Notebook

Comprehensive health information as provided by GP’s and nurses to patients during consultations
Palliative Care

 

Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA)

Non-medical prescribing and mixing medicines in palliative care and other areas of clinical practice

 

Royal College of Anaesthetists

Palliative care links and resource information
The use of drugs beyond licence in palliative care and in pain management

 

Pain Talk

The national discussion forum and community for UK Healthcare Professionals with an interest in acute, chronic, or palliative Pain Management

 

NHS

Access to Palliative Care Drugs
The Department of Health End of Life Care Programme website has links to events, publications, care pathways, tools, care settings, case studies, data and statistics to support you:

End of life care for Adults


Map of medicine

End of Life Care Adult Pathway

 

RCGP Practitioner With a Special Interest (PWSI) frameworks

Guidance and competences for the provision of services using practitioners with a special interests (PWSI) in Palliative Care

 

Patient UK

Comprehensive health information as provided by GP’s and nurses to patients during consultations

 

Palliative.info

Palliative Care Links and Resource Materials

 

NICE

NICE Quality Standards Summary PDF logo

 

Advance care planning


Advance Care Planning is a process of discussion between an individual and their care provider, and this may also include family and friends

 

There are three elements

An Advance Statement of Wishes and preferences – a statement reflecting an individual’a preferences and aspirations, that can help identify how the person woud like to be cared for. tHough not legally binding , it is likely to be taken into account.

Ad Advance Decision to Refuse Treament (ADRT) ythe decision must relate to a specific treatment and specicific circumstances. It will only come into effect when the individual has lost capacity to give or refuse consent

Proxy- Lasting Power of attorney . In addition a third element is who has been nominated to speak for the person, either as a LPOA or through other routes

 

NHS End of Life Care Programme

Advance Care Planning (ACP) National Guidelines

 

British Medical Journal

The impact of advance care planning on end of life care in elderly patients: randomised controlled trial


Gold Standards Framework

GSF Advance Care Planning


General Medical Council

End of Life Care Advance Care Planning


International Observatory on End of Life Care

Advance Care Planning in Care Homes