Thames Valley & Milton Keynes Strategic Clinical Networks commissioning guidance

Thames Valley & Milton Keynes Strategic Clinical Networks have produced commissioning guidance with recommendations for action and best practice case studies for cancer, cardiovascular health, children, end of life care, long term conditions, maternity, mental health and neurological conditions. Although locally focused, the guides may have wide spread interest. 

Access the guides here.

Improving the quality of care in the last days of life: medication

"This document identifies best practice in the way medications should be managed in the last days of life. It sets out practical, high level, evidence-based recommendations to help guide those responsible for care to review their processes and consider ways to make change where necessary."

Improving the quality of care in the last days of life: A practical guide to getting the medications right
London Clinical Networks
April 2016

Read more here.

Transforming end of life care in acute hospitals

"Throughout this guide, you will be encouraged to use existing models and practical tools already identified as examples of good practice. They can help you achieve the improvements you wish to prioritise locally to improve the quality of end of life care for your patients and their families."

Transforming end of life care in acute hospitals: The route to success ‘how to’ guide
NHS England
December 2015

Read more here.

“Conversation Ready”: A Framework for Improving End-of-Life Care

"This white paper describes the Conversation Ready framework, the changes associated with the framework’s five principles that can be implemented to improve end-of-life care, examples of changes tested by organizations, and suggested measures to guide improvement."

“Conversation Ready”: A Framework for Improving End-of-Life Care (IHI White Paper)
K McCutcheon Adams, A Kabcenell, K Little, L Sokol-Hessner
Institute for Healthcare Improvement
June 2015

Read more here.

Triggers for palliative care: Improving access

"This report explores the evidence around access to palliative care for people with terminal illnesses other than cancer."

Triggers for palliative care:  Improving access to care for people with diseases other than cancer
Marie Curie
June 2015

Read more here.

Improving the accuracy and turn-around time of controlled drug prescribing for patients being discharged home for end-of-life care

"Re-audit after a pilot period showed a significant improvement in both error rate and dispensing time of these medications. This then allowed for better use of staff time within the pharmacy department, and a smoother and safer discharge for our patients going home for end of life care."

Improving the accuracy and turn-around time of controlled drug prescribing for patients being discharged home for end-of-life care

S Daniel, J Patel, D Benson
BMJ Quality Improvement Reports 2014;3: doi:10.1136/bmjquality.u203589.w1595

Read more here.

Exploring the cost of care at the end of life

"The results suggest that cost savings might be available if community-based support were made more widely available to help people to die in their own homes, where that was their preference."

Exploring the cost of care at the end of life
T Georghiou, M Bardsley
Nuffield Trust
September 2014

Read more here.

Can we live with how we’re dying? advancing the case for free social care at the end of life

"this report provides an assessment of the views of senior health and social care decision makers about the economic case for free social care at the end of life."

Can we live with how we’re dying? advancing the case for free social care at the end of life
Macmillan Cancer Support
June 2014

Read more here.

Transitions at the end of life for older adults

"Development of a shared understanding of professional and carer roles in end-of-life transitions may be one of the most effective ways of improving patients’ experiences."

Transitions at the end of life for older adults – patient, carer and professional perspectives: a mixed-methods study
B Hanratty, E Lowson, G Grande, S Payne, J Addington-Hall, N Valtorta1, J Seymour
Health Services Delivery Research, 2014; 2(17)

Read more here.

NHS Improving Quality: end of life care webpages

"Our web pages can help organisations/communities deliver excellent end of life care by providing access to a wide range of resources that support good practice.  They offer opportunities for organisations/communities to share learning and improve the way they deliver care."

Access the resource here.

One chance to get it right

"This document sets out the approach to caring for dying people that health and care organisations and staff caring for dying people in England should adopt in future. The approach should be applied irrespective of the place in which someone is dying: hospital, hospice, own or other home and during transfers between different settings."

One chance to get it right: improving people’s experience of care in the last few days and hours of life
Leadership Alliance for the Care of Dying People
Department of Health
June 2014

Read more here.

End of life care profiles for clinical commissioning groups

"These profiles, launched on 28 April 2014, draw together a wide range of information to give an overview of variations in cause and place of death, by age and sex, for each clinical commissioning group (CCG) in England. The profiles will help commissioners and providers of end of life care get a clearer picture of the end of life care needs of their local populations. They will help with the planning and delivery of services and will support drives locally towards improving end of life care."

End of life care profiles for clinical commissioning groups
Public Health England
April 2014

Access the profiles here.

National care of the dying audit for hospitals

"All hospitals should undertake local audit of care of the dying, including the assessment of the views of bereaved relatives, at least annually."

National care of the dying audit for hospitals, England: national report 
Royal College of Physicians, Marie Curie Cancer Care
May 2014

Read more here.

How to provide 24/7 joined up palliative care

"After years of disjointed end of life care services in England, an initiative in Bedfordshire shows how to coordinate services 24 hours a day." 

How to provide 24/7, joined up palliative care
S Picken, D Cakmak
Health Service Journal
16 April 2014

Read more here.

Making our health and care systems fit for an ageing population

"Improving services for older people requires us to consider each component of care, since many older people use multiple services, and the quality, capacity and responsiveness of any one component will affect others."

Making our health and care systems fit for an ageing population
D Oliver, C Foot, R Humphries
The King's Fund
March 2014


Read more here.

More care, less pathway: a review of the Liverpool Care Pathway

"The Review considered evidence from many quarters: written submissions from members of the public and health professionals with experience of the LCP, as well as professional bodies and other organisations; a review of academic literature; a review of relevant hospital complaints; and surveys of health professionals."

More care, less pathway: a review of the Liverpool Care Pathway
Baroness Julia Neuberger (Chair of Review Panel)
July 2013

Read more here.

Palliative and end of life care for Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic groups in the UK

"There is growing evidence that ethnic and cultural differences can influence patterns of advanced disease, illness experiences, healthcare seeking behaviour, and the use of healthcare services..... This report therefore provides an evidence-base to understand the profile of BAME populations living in the UK, and identifies their unmet needs regarding palliative and end of life care."

Palliative and end of life care for Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic groups in the UK
N Calanzani, J Koffman, IJ Higginson
Mari Curie Cancer Care
June 2013

Read more here.

RCGP commissioning guidance in end of life care

"Guidance for GPs, Clinical Commissioning Group advisers and commissioners in supporting better care for all people nearing the end of their life."

RCGP commissioning guidance in end of life care
K Thomas, D Paynton
Royal College of General Practitioners
March 2013

Read more here.

Deaths from cardiovascular diseases: implications for end of life care in England

"This report provides useful and descriptive overview of the current trends in mortality from cardiovascular diseases including circulatory diseases, congenital heart disease and vascular dementia."

Deaths from cardiovascular diseases: implications for end of life care in England
National End of Life Care Programme
February 2013

Read more here.

Deaths from cardiovascular diseases: implications for end of life care in England

"This report describes patterns in mortality from cardiovascular diseases in England, highlighting variation in place and cause of death by age, sex, socioeconomic deprivation and disease group."

Deaths from cardiovascular diseases: implications for end of life care in England
National End of Life Care Programme
February 2013

Read more here.