NACEL (National Audit for Care at the End of Life, NHS Benchmarking Network 2022) identifies standards for providing good quality end of life (EoL) care, for example:
1. Using SPICT (Supportive and Palliative Indicators Tool – a national tool used to identify EoL patients, The University of Edinburgh)
2. Using SCP (Supportive Care Plan)
3. Documenting preferred place of death (PPoD)
4. TEP/DNACPR in place within 24 hours of death (Treatment escalation plan, do not attempt CPR)
On a general surgical ward at Sandwell Hospital, Birmingham, the palliative care team developed a multi-cycle quality improvement project (QIP) to identify areas for growth in these standards and improve care at the end of life for our patients.
Initial data collection suggested poor performance in identifying the dying patient using SPICT, documenting the preferred place of death and using SCP ward round/nursing notes. Our interventions were targeted towards this.
You can read and download the project poster HERE