Description
People with progressive life-limiting illnesses require different levels of health and social care at different points in their illness. Apart from care and treatment specific to their underlying condition(s), they are likely to have needs that are often referred to as palliative or end of life care, especially as they approach the last year(s) of their lives.
Throughout their illness, sometimes episodically, for prolonged periods, they may require expert assessment, advice, appropriate and responsive care, and support from specialists in palliative care.
In addition to physical symptoms such as pain, breathlessness, nausea and fatigue, people who are approaching the end of life may experience anxiety, depression, social and spiritual distress. The proper management of these issues requires effective and collaborative, multidisciplinary working within and between core and specialist teams, whether the person is at home, in hospital or elsewhere.
Key components of a Palliative Care Specialist Service include:
• Specialist knowledge (specialist consultant and specialist nursing services as a minimum) to assess and manage physical, psychological, social, religious and spiritual needs to reduce symptoms, suffering and distress
• supporting analysis of complex clinical decision-making challenges where medical and personal interests are finely balanced by applying relevant ethical and legal reasoning alongside clinical assessment
• providing specialist advice, support, education and training to the wider care team who are providing direct core level palliative care to the person.
The Agreement is for the supply of:
• Remote Specialist Palliative Care Consultant support (Monday-Friday 09:00-17:00 / Saturday, Sunday and Bank Holidays 10:00-14:00)
• On-site support for more complex patient cases (Monday-Friday 09:00-17:00 / Saturday, Sunday and Bank Holidays 10:00-14:00)
• One clinic session per week (morning or afternoon session) with a mixed patient caseload of face to face and telephone consultations
• Attend and support a weekly Palliative Care / Symptom Control Multidisciplinary Team (MDT) meeting. This may be held remotely.
2.4 The majority of patients requiring remote / face to face palliative care specialist support will be inpatients on Ward 10 / 11 with symptom control support also required for some MVCC patients in the community.