12 January 2015

A review on end of life care services, entitled 'Better Endings', has been published by the National Institue for Health Research (NIHR) Dissemination Centre (Dec 2015).

The review considers how patients at the end of their lives should receive the right care, at the right time and in the right place.

Research has shown that whilst good care of dying patients includes complying with the patient's wishes, an advanced care plan (ACP) is not always completed for each patient.  One reason for this is that staff can find it difficult to initiate such discussions.

The SAGE & THYME ACP workshop teaches healthcare professionals how to open a discussion about advance care planning and also manage any concerns that a patient may have, to ensure that their patients receive the right care, at the right time and in the right place.