District nursing teams work closely with joint care management teams across Leeds Community Healthcare NHS Trust to deliver palliative care to their patients who are suffering from a life limiting illness and wish to be cared for at home. This ensures that patients can confidently choose to live at home until they die, assured that highly trained, skilled professionals will deliver the care they need.

The Department of Health published this document in July 2008. This document provides guidance and recommendations to organisations that plan and commission care for those people who are approaching the end of their life. This is regardless of the illness which has caused their ill-health.

The document demonstrates the Department of Health’s commitment to raising the standards of care for this special group of patients. It recognises that many patients wish to be cared for in their preferred place of choice, which may be their own home. It also pays particular attention to the support for informal carers, and to the provision of education and support for professionals to deliver a consistent and high standard of care.

The End of Life Care Strategy.

Preferred Priorities for Care document (pdf)

Planning for your Future Care

More information on PPC

The Preferred Priorities for Care document (also known as PPC) can help you prepare for the future. It gives you an opportunity to think about, talk about and write down your preferences and priorities for care at the end of your life. You do not need to do this unless you want to.

The PPC can help you and your carers (your family, friends and professionals) to understand what is important to you when planning your care. If a time comes when, for whatever reason, you are unable to make a decision for yourself, anyone who has to make decisions about your care on your behalf will have to take into account anything you have written in your PPC.

Sometimes people wish to refuse specific medical treatments in advance. The PPC is not meant to be used for such legally binding refusals. If you decide that you want to refuse any medical treatments, it would be advisable to discuss this with your doctors.

Remember that your views may change over time. You can change what you have written whenever you wish to, and it would be advisable to review your PPC regularly to make sure that it still reflects what you want.

Source: www.endoflifecareforadults.nhs.uk

The LCP was developed by the Marie Curie hospice in Liverpool to guide healthcare professionals in whatever setting (including hospitals and patients own home) to ensure that all aspects of care are considered when they are caring for patients in the last days of life. It prompts good communication between the professionals, the patient and their families/carers, ensures everything possible is done to keep the patient comfortable and prepares the patient and carers for impending death. It also ensures support following death is provided for the family.

The Gold Standards Framework (GSF) is a community based programme to improve the organisation and quality of care (enabling a gold standard of care) for all people nearing the end of their lives. The aim is to aspire for the ‘best’ for ALL patients nearing the end of life, whatever their diagnosis, stage of illness or choice of where they wish to be cared for.

Implementation of the Gold Standards Framework across the 118 GP practices within the Leeds Primary Care Trust began in 2005 bringing together the GP, District Nurse, Clinical Nurse Specialist (Palliative Care), Community Matron, on a regular basis, to discuss the needs and preferences of their most seriously ill patients and the needs of those carers caring for them. A full nursing and medical assessment takes place where needs, symptoms, preferences and significant, important issues for the patient and carer are identified. Planning care around patients’ needs and preferences enables, where possible, patients to live and die where they choose.

For more information, log onto www.goldstandardsframework.nhs.uk and click on Information for Patients, Families and Carers.