Contacts
Contact:
Martin Ashby
Consultant
Organisation:
St Barnabas House Community Palliative Care Team
Columbia Drive Worthing West Sussex BN13 2QF United Kingdom
Email:
Website:
Case study:
29 November 2010
Advance care planning patient-held record for West Sussex
Key points
- West Sussex’s four hospices have produced a patient-held document which records advance care planning decisions
- The form, which is recognised across the whole area, provides information on patients’ preferences as well as highlighting legal avenues that may need to be explored
- It is hoped its widespread use will lead to fewer hospital admissions, more deaths where people wish and reduced costs.
Four hospices in West Sussex have collaborated to produce a patient-held document which records the outcomes of advance care planning discussions between staff and patients.
The form, which records the patient’s wishes in a standard format which is recognised across the whole area, was developed between the local hospice units and then reviewed by five patients attending the day hospice. The feedback was very positive.
As well as offering a framework to help the community team initiate discussions with patients, it provides a record of their preferences and any other forms they have completed such as preferred place of care, things they would not want to happen to them and who they would like to consult with about their care.
It can also help highlight other legal avenues that may need to be explored such as advanced decisions to refuse treatment, lasting power of attorney, writing a will and whether they wish to have cardiopulmonary resuscitation.
It is hoped that the widespread use of the form will lead to fewer unnecessary admissions to hospital and an increase in the number of people being cared for and dying where they would prefer. This in turn is likely to lead to reduced costs.
The forms have yet to be evaluated. But the local PCT is already planning to incorporate them into its enhanced nursing home service.
The four hospices involved are St Wilfrid’s, St Peter and St James, St Catherine’s and St Barnabas House.
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