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 20 July 2008 08:05 BST

£1 million programme to improve end-of-life care

Friday, 16 May 2008 09:44
£1 million funding will ensure facilities are improved for people at end-of-life

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A new £1 million programme has been announced to improve facilities to care for patients at the end of their lives.

The programme, funded by the Department of Health and led by the King's Fund, will enable nurse-led teams to change resources in 19 NHS trusts and one prison.

Projects will include the provision of palliative care beds; improvements to facilities for families and visitors; dedicated bereavement suites; and refurbished mortuary viewing facilities.

The announcement comes ahead of the government's end-of-life care strategy that is due to be published later this year.

Niall Dickson, chief executive of the King's Fund, said there is much to be done to improve care for the dying and their families, but welcomed funding for the new programme as an "important step" to achieving this.

"We are still not doing enough for patients at the end of life. Dying patients and their families, like recovering patients, deserve dignity and a caring environment, but too often they are not experiencing this," he added.

"We know that improving the environment in which people are cared for can make a huge difference to how they feel.

"We are confident that this scheme will not only improve facilities at 20 new sites across the country, but will also have a positive impact on the staff who take part and the patients who receive their care."

Care services minister Ivan Lewis described the programme as "very important" and said it is vital environments for people at end-of-life are as "pleasant as possible for patients and their families".

"How we care for the dying is an indicator of how we care for all sick and vulnerable people. It is a measure of society as a whole and in particular it is a litmus test for health and social care services," he commented.

"The government is committed to improving care and people's choices at the end of life, regardless of their condition or their location."
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