Royal College of Physicians Calls for National Strategy on End-of-Life Care

The Royal College of Physicians (RCP) is urging the Government to develop a public campaign on end-of-life and palliative care, as well as a national strategy for end-of-life care, to address the current issue of patients and their families often feeling unprepared for the end of life. The RCP's clinical vice president, Dr Hilary Williams, emphasized the importance of anticipating the end of life as "an act of clinical courage and kindness," and argued that patients who are in their final months of life can benefit from open supportive conversations that help them to recognize their situation and may result in a change in approach to their treatment and support. The college also warned that there are significant barriers to delivering high-quality end-of-life care, including challenges in social care and the imbalance of funding and workforce in healthcare.

Key Takeaways:

• Approximately 70% of people die from long-term health conditions that can follow a predictable course, with death anticipated well in advance of the event.
• Patients and their families often feel unprepared for the end of life, despite this predictable course.
• The RCP calls for a public campaign on end-of-life and palliative care to raise awareness and promote cultural shifts.
• A national strategy for end-of-life care is needed to address the imbalance of funding and workforce in healthcare and improve education, recognition, and delivery of end-of-life care.
• Dr. Williams emphasizes the need for continuity of care, involvement of experienced decision-makers, and honest conversations between clinicians and patients/families.
• Dr. Nick Murch from the Society for Acute Medicine notes that the end-of-life phase is often seen as unexpected or a last-minute crisis.
• Palliative care and bereavement charity Sue Ryder highlights the need for thinking about palliative care from the moment of diagnosis, not just the last few days of life.
• The hospice sector could be benefiting more patients if referrals are made earlier.

Statistics:

• Approximately 70% of people die from long-term health conditions that can follow a predictable course.
• Around 8% of people referred to Sue Ryder's hospices die before they can be admitted, suggesting that referrals are made too late.
• The Department of Health and Social Care has invested £100 million into hospices to provide better care.

Sources:

• "It comes amid a warning that too often this phase of someone's life 'is seen as unexpected or a last-minute crisis' despite the person being ill and already in hospital or another care setting." - The Royal College of Physicians
• "The college said currently much focus remains on treatments to cure patients, despite many having progressive life-limiting conditions including those who are frail or elderly, and called for 'important cultural shifts' in healthcare and wider UK society around palliative and end-of-life care." - The Royal College of Physicians
• "We want a society where every person receives high-quality, compassionate care from diagnosis through to the end of life." - Department of Health and Social Care
• "This government will shift more healthcare out of hospitals and into the community, and the palliative care and end-of-life care sector, including a well-informed specialist and generalist health and care workforce will play a big role in this shift." - Department of Health and Social Care