Making palliative care everyone’s business

Improving palliative care services for everyone living with an advanced progressive condition in Northern Ireland was in the spotlight at Stormont with the announcement of the Regional Palliative Care Programme Priorities for the next 12 months.

The event, hosted by the Public Health Agency (PHA), the Health and Social Care Board (HSCB) and supported by Marie Curie, outlined the key priorities and processes proposed to advance the delivery and understanding of palliative care.

The priorities have been developed through two years of engagement with providers of palliative care in the public, private, community and voluntary sector providers. The aim was to agree and design the model of best practice that will make a real difference to people in need of palliative care, their families and communities.

Corrina Grimes, Palliative Care lead at the PHA, said: “It is estimated that around 11,250 people who die each year in Northern Ireland may have benefitted from a palliative care approach, but sadly many people may not be receiving the support and care they need.

“Since the launch of ‘Living Matters, Dying Matters’ Strategy in 2010, and more recently within the Transforming Your Palliative and End of Life Care programme, we are working with statutory, independent and voluntary service organisations with the aim of raising awareness of palliative and end of life care and redesigning services to enable people with palliative needs to be cared for in their preferred place. Palliative care involves us all and through a partnership approach we can provide good palliative care and end of life care.

“I would encourage people to talk about their wishes for future care. It can help enable the care and support you might wish for at the end of your life.”

Eamon O’Kane, Divisional General Manager for Marie Curie NI said: “We know that most terminally ill people would prefer to die at home, yet in 2014, 48% of deaths occurred in hospital. We must all therefore work to develop robust strategic foundations that will shape how palliative care is provided and accessed by those in most need.

“Marie Curie is committed to improving the way terminally ill people are cared for and believe that a proactive and integrated approach to palliative and end of life care is the only way to positively effect change.

“By supporting the HSCB and the PHA and working collaboratively with fellow providers of holistic palliative care services there is a real opportunity to embed the palliative care approach into mainstream care for anyone that needs it.”

Paul Turley, Commissioning Lead for Palliative Care, Health and Social Care Board said: “Today’s event is a great opportunity for palliative care professionals from a wide range of organisations to showcase good practice, share new models of care, service improvements and build on partnerships to improve the provision of palliative and end of life care services across Northern Ireland.”