End of Life Care Strategy announced
England's End of Life Care Strategy was announced today by Health Secretary Alan Johnson. The report, entitled "Promoting high quality care for all adults at the end of life" is available on the EOLC...
View Article"Methadone Rises as a Painkiller With Big Risks"
An article in the New York Tomes highlights the increased use - and risks - of methadone as a painkiller. Read the article...
View ArticleAdvice from the Nursing and Midwifery Council on mixing drugs in palliative care
The NMC has issued advice to Independent Nurse Prescribers on mixing drugs in palliative care. “Independent Nurse Prescribers are not authorised to prescribe a mixture of licensed medication for...
View ArticleFinal version of the deprivation of liberty safeguards Code of Practice
The final version of the deprivation of liberty safeguards Code of Practice (Mental Capacity Act DOLS) and two sets of MCA DOLS regulations have recently completed their passage through Parliament.
View ArticleA New Code of Practice for the Diagnosis and Confirmation of Death
The Academy of Medical Royal Colleges has launched new guidelines for doctors on how to diagnose and confirm death in patients. The Code, which has taken four years to put together following...
View ArticleAdvance care planning guideline published
A new National Guideline has been published jointly by the British Geriatrics Society, Royal College of Physicians, Royal College of Nursing, Royal College of Psychiatrists, Royal College of General...
View ArticleConfusion between Continuous Deep Sedation and Euthanasia?
Recent articles in the media have addressed the issue of "Palliative Sedation" or "Deep Continuous Sedation" and shown the confusion between these and euthanasia, such as this one by the BBC...
View ArticleLetters on Liverpool care Pathway in the Daily Telegraph
A number of letters and articles have appeared in the Daily Telegraph on the subject of the Liverpool Care Pathway. Dying patients - letter, 3rd September 2009 Dying patient scheme should be examined,...
View ArticleNCEPOD report published
An NCEPOD report - Deaths in Acute Hospitals: Caring to the End? - has been published today. This NCEPOD report highlights the process of care of patients who died in acute hospitals within four days...
View ArticleE-learning Programme launched for End of Life Care Training
e-ELCA (End of Life Care for All) is one of the key elements in a programme to improve the skills of up to 2.5 million people working with dying people and their families – a key recommendation of the...
View ArticleUpdate on the death certification process published
The Department of Health have published Improving the process of death certification in England and Wales: overview of programme. It provides a general overview of the Death Certification Programme and...
View ArticleGMC Guidance on End of Life care published
New GMC guidance for doctors, Treatment and care towards the end of life: good practice in decision making, has been published and comes into effect on 1 July 2010. This guidance replaces the booklet...
View ArticleEnd of Life Care Strategy: Second Annual Report
In July 2008 the Department of Health published the End of Life Care Strategy - promoting high quality care for all adults at the end of life. This second annual report sets out the continuing progress...
View ArticlePalliative Adult Network Guidelines and Paediatric Guidelines published (UK)
The third edition of Palliative Care Guidelines have been published this week. The Palliative Adult Network Guidelines (PANG) represent the culmination of nearly two years work involving clinicians...
View ArticleEnd of Life Care Strategy: Third Annual Report
The Department of Health has published its End of Life Care Strategy: Third Annual Report. The End of Life Care Strategy was published in July 2008, and this is the third annual report on progress in...
View ArticleDeciding Right - a new initiative for making care decisions in advance
Deciding Right has been published online. Deciding right is a north east wide initiative - the first in the UK - to integrate the principles of making advance care decisions for all ages. It brings...
View Article"The Other Side" - the true story of a doctor as a patient
Dr Kate Granger (an Elderly Medicine Registrar at Pinderfields hospital in Yorkshire) wrote this book whilst undergoing treatment for a rare, aggressive type of sarcoma. The book is available from...
View Article#hpmglobal tweetchat @Twitter
Monday April 2nd saw the first weekly #hpmglobal tweetchat. The world of social media is having an impact of various degrees on the way we interact and communicate. As Twitter expanded, users created...
View ArticleConsensus statement supports the Liverpool care pathway
Over 20 organisations have signed a consensus statement in support of the Liverpool care pathway for the dying patient, including professional bodies, third sector organisations, disease specific...
View ArticleLiverpool Care Pathway review published
The Liverpool Care Pathway should be phased out and replaced by an individual end of life care plan, an independent review led by Baroness Julia Neuberger recommended today. The review was commissioned...
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