next steps for delivering compassionate care dr phil mccarvill head of policy & public affairs...

Next steps for delivering compassionate care

Dr Phil McCarvillHead of Policy & Public Affairs Marie Curie Cancer Care @MarieCuriePA

MARIE CURIE

• Major UK end of life charity working people with all terminal illnesses

• Major service provider – Network of 2000 Nurses caring for people in the last few days, weeks and months of life

• 9 hospices across the UK reached 8,931 people in 2013-14• Our services reached a total of 40,519 people last year• Major funder of academic and health service research with an

Open Access research policy • Working to influence policy and practice through

our policy and public affairs work.

Delivering High Quality Services

Next Steps For End Of Life Care

Focus on three key aspects:

• Ensuring compassionate care• Commissioning end of life care • Repositioning end of life care

Compassionate Care

• Putting people at the centre – Five priorities of care

• We learn the lessons from the VOICES Bereavement Survey & RCP/Marie Curie Hospital Audit

• Drive up quality of care in all settings • Ensure people with different conditions can

access the highest quality care

Compassionate Care - Lessons

• Variation across different settings

• Lack of 24/7 support

• Lack of access to face to face palliative care

• Poor communication with individuals &

families

Commissioning End of Life Care

• Start from the point of view of terminally ill people and their families

• Align what terminally ill people want and what the health and social care system needs

• Recognise the role of charities and community services in delivering high quality care

• Move the focus away from hospitals and shift resources accordingly – backed by evidence from Nuffield Trust

Repositioning End Of Life Care

• For too long end of life care has been seen as a niche subject

• Demographics & financial pressures mean that we need to view end of life care differently

• Focusing on end of life care can help solve a number of the major challenges facing the NHS and wider health and social care system

THANK YOU@MARIECURIEPA