Case study:

26 September 2007

Care of the patient and family after death – a multiprofessional approach to care and training in Salisbury Foundation Trust

Key points

Salisbury Foundation Trust has developed comprehensive last offices guidelines to ensure that patients, their relatives and carers are treated with dignity and respect.

The guidelines are now available on the trust intranet supported by a checklist, which can be filed in the patient case notes.

A recent audit, following training across the trust to support implementation of the guidance, revealed improvements in practice as well as areas for further training or updates.

The guidance has been updated accordingly.

The multidisciplinary care group which is represented at executive level includes adult medicine, chaplaincy, site management team specialist palliative care, elderly care, cancer services, rehab, bereavement services, mortuary services and clinical audit.

In addition patients or carer representatives and other health and social care professionals and educationalists are co-opted into the group as appropriate.

It is planned to produce a video to widen access to training for all staff caring for the deceased.