Examples of best practice
Best practice across England
Following the First round of the National Care of the Dying Audit Hospitals – England, health professionals who took part in the audit were asked to complete & share best practice examples after regional workshops.
We would look to do this again in the 2009 workshops.
Best practice examples
- Raising a high profile of end of life care within a Trust (pdf)
- One Integrated Care Pathway (ICP) transferable to each care setting (pdf)
- Developing an education programme (pdf)
- Teaching programme and support for staff (pdf)
- Practical skills training for nurses, AHPs and other staff (pdf)
- Using an audit form and process (pdf)
- Data collection of deceased patients (pdf)
- Tissue donation goal (pdf)
- Dedicated LCP web pages on hospital intranet (pdf)
- Informing GPs of patients' deaths (pdf)
- Comfort care pack, staff development programme and website (pdf)
Storing documentation
It is helpful to store the LCP & associated documents, leaflets & staff & carer information in one central place.
In Liverpool we have developed the “Blue Box File” – All appropriate information is centrally held in a specific area on the ward in a Blue Box file.
100% of all staff in the environment if asked should be able to locate this and this is audited on a regular basis.
Key Champion or LCP Facilitator
The role of a key worker often known as a Key Champion or LCP Facilitator is key to success.
The implementation of the LCP should be driven by a multiprofessional team with a named key worker who is often a nurse – who takes a lead role within an organisation or health economy.
Within each area clinical area that an LCP is used, it is recommended that a Key Champion is named to drive the local agenda at the bedside.
