News

New report warns more people are dying from liver disease than ever before

22 March 2012

The number of people dying from liver disease in England is rising, according to the first ever national report on the statistics published today by the National End of Life Care Intelligence Network.

Deaths from liver disease: Implications for end of life care in England describes how there has been a 25% increase in liver disease deaths between 2001 (9,231 people) and 2009 (11,575 people). This is in contrast to other major causes of deaths, which have been declining.

Read the media release: National report warns more people are dying from liver disease than ever before, with the disease being more common in the North and killing more men than women

Download the report: Deaths from Liver Disease: Implications for end of life care in England


A new national information standard published today will ensure co-ordinated end of life care

20 March 2012

The National End of Life Care Programme and the Department of Health have developed a new national information standard. The End of Life Care Co-ordination: Core Content Information Standard will facilitate consistent recording of information by health and social care agencies and, with the consent of the individual, support safe and effective management and sharing of information. Its primary purpose is to ensure the correct and effective use of data within Electronic Palliative Care Co-ordination Systems (EPaCCS).


Route to success 'how to' guide for acute hospitals

28 February 2012

This guide aims to help clinicians, directors and managers implement the route to success more effectively and builds upon the overarching framework set out in the route to success in end of life care – achieving quality in acute hospitals, published in 2010.

Download the guide: Transforming end of life care in acute hospitals - the route to success 'how to' guide


Route to success for ambulance services guide published

28 February 2012

This guide sets out the important role of the ambulance services and is a key tool not only for ambulances services, but also other health and social care providers, professionals, managers and commissioners. The guide includes the challenges and barriers needed to be addressed to achieve high quality care at each step along the end of life care pathway as well as good practice guidelines and top tips.

Download the guide: The route to success in end of life care - achieving quality in ambulance services


Preferences for place of death if faced with advanced cancer: a population survey in England, Flanders, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal and Spain

16 February 2012

The PRISMA survey, with cross-national results on the preferences for place of death (including England), has been published in Annals of Oncology. The survey determined where people would prefer to die if they had a serious illness such as advanced cancer, facilitating circumstances, personal values and experiences of illness, death and dying. The results show that at least two-thirds of people prefer a home death in all but one country studied.

View the abstract: Preferences for place of death if faced with advanced cancer: a population survey in England, Flanders, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal and Spain


Deprivation and death: new report on socioeconomic differences at the end of life

8 February 2012

People who live in deprived areas are more likely to die in hospital than those living in affluent areas, research published today suggests.

The report reveals that 61% of deaths amongst people living in the most deprived quintile (the poorest 20% of areas) occurred in hospital – compared to 54% amongst the two least deprived quintiles.

Read the media release: Report raises questions over equality of access to end of life care community services

Download the report: Deprivation and Death: Variation in place and cause of death


Revised ‘Planning your future care’ guide published

3 February 2012

 An updated version of Planning for your future — a guide, was published on Dignity Action Day (01.02.12) and provides practical advice on how people can engage in advance care planning (ACP) with health and social care professionals and their carers and family.

The guide will encourage and support people to shape the care they receive at the end of their life.

Download Planning for your future care - a guide


Elderly 'suffer as social care spending cut'

30 January 2012

Age UK have today published a new new report which looks at cuts in social care spend. The report, based on offical data plus Age UK's own research, states that the widening funding gap has led to a reduction in service provision and an increase in charges levied by councils for their services and less older people receiving the support they need.

Download the report: Care in crisis 2012


Cancer Commisssioning Toolkit - December release

19 December 2011

The Cancer Commissioning Toolkit is the first point of contact for cancer commissioners to benchmark the services they commission at National, NHS Trust, Primary Cart Trust, GP practice, and Clinical Commissioning Group level.

The toolkit now includes new data and a wide range of high level indicators and profiles across the patient journey.

For more information, see: Cancer Commisssioning Toolkit - December release

View the NHS Cancer Commissioning Toolkit


Information for staff who support people at the end of their lives

15 December 2011

The Social Care Institute for Excellence (SCIE) has launched a new website for health and social care staff who want to provide support to people at the end of their lives. The End of Life Care Hub provides information and ideas for social care professionals who work with people at the end of their lives, and their families. It will also be of interest to medical colleagues who work with them.

View SCIE's End of Life Care Hub website.


End of Life Care Profiles updated

13 December 2011

The National End of Life Care Intelligence Network has updated the End of Life Care Profiles with 2010 data - the latest available nationally. This brings the Profiles right up-to-date. We have also made improvements to the display and changes in how some of the data are categorised in response to feedback from users.

Take a look at the updated End of Life Care Profiles now.


Plans to improve cancer intelligence published

13 December 2011

The Department of Health and NCIN have published a Cancer Intelligence Framework. This sets out commitments for action  and aspirations for the future. The aim is to make cancer intelligence services truly world class and to meet the needs of all stakeholders.

See: In Intelligence Framework for Cancer


Care of Dying Threatened by Nursing Crisis

7 December 2011

The latest annual edition of the National Council for Palliative Care’s Specialist Palliative Care Workforce Survey, produced by the National Council for Palliative Care, expresses concerns that an ageing nursing workforce combined with staff shortages could post serious problems in the future and impact on the quality of care that the terminally ill receive.

Download the report:NCPL Specialist Palliative Care Workforce Survey


National General Practice Profiles and Disease Prevalence Estimates

7 December 2011

The East of England Public Health Observatory (erpho), on behalf of Public Health Observatories in England, has updated its National General Practice Profilesand Disease Prevalence Estimates tools.


Dr Foster: reducing mortality at nights and weekends

1 December 2011

Data released by Dr Foster shows that chances of surviving hospital treatment depend not just on where you are treated but also when. Patients admitted as an emergency at weekends are significantly more likely to die. The hospitals with the fewest senior doctors available at the weekend have the highest morality rates.

Download the report: Inside your hospital


NICE publishes new end of life care quality standard

30 November 2011

NICE is an independent organisation responsible for providing national guidance and standards on the promotion of good health and the prevention and treatment of ill health. In collaboration with the NHS and social care sectors, NICE has published new quality standards for end of life care for adults across the NHS in England.

View End of life care for adults quality standard


Home care often fails to meet older people’s basic rights, says inquiry

24 November 2011

The Equality and Human Rights Commission have published a report revealing disturbing evidence that the poor treatment of many older people is breaching their human rights.

Download the report: Close to home: An inquiry into older people and human rights in home care


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