Achieving high-quality care at the end of life in the acute hospital setting

Abstract

With more than half (58%) of deaths in England taking place in hospitals, it is crucial that we continue to both improve the quality of end-of-life care (EoLC) in the acute sector and make the best use of available resources. The National End of Life Care Programme (NEoLCP) recently published a practical guide that will help nurses and doctors work with hospital managers and board members to achieve just that. The Route to Success in End of Life Care — Achieving Quality in Acute Hospitals (NEoLCP, 2010) follows the six steps in the EoLC pathway for acute hospitals ( Figures 1 and 2 ). For each step it sets out a series of questions and points that clinicians, senior managers and trust board members should consider when assessing how their own hospital cares for those nearing the end of life and their families. Figure 1. Delivering quality and productivity excerpt from The Route to Success in End of …