Pilot services in Leeds

During the project’s phase I investigative work on current services which are provided in Leeds, better coordination of care and access to services for palliative care patients were identified as areas for improvement.

Here’s how the Leeds project has been helping more patients to be cared for in their place of choice.

Stephanie Turner, Palliative Care
Discharge Facilitator

Palliative Care Discharge Facilitator Stephanie Turner works across acute trusts and the community to support the discharge of patients who are approaching the end of life from hospital to their preferred place of care.

Stephanie explains: “To speed up the discharge process, I work closely with hospital and community healthcare teams to improve the planning and coordination of services so that patients have the appropriate care and support needed after discharge.”

Download Stephanie’s A4 poster (pdf 235KB)

The Palliative Care Ambulance, operated by the Yorkshire Ambulance Service, provides a responsive transport for patients at the end of life who are discharged from hospital. It also transports patients to urgent admissions and appointments.

Ambulance assistant Lee Acklam
with the palliative care ambulance

Ambulance Assistant Lee Acklam says: “Before our service was introduced, patients relied on the accident and emergency crews and often had to wait. As a dedicated transport service, we can be there within the hour, so these patients can get the service as quickly as possible.”

Working with project partners to offer new services that support community care

Following discharge from hospital or hospice, patients and carers who are in need of support in the first 24 hours are referred to the Meet and Greet scheme.

Area Nursing Manager Jo Whincup says: “Patients would often end up back in hospital if there is lack of support following a discharge. To ease the transition, a Marie Curie Nurse or Senior Healthcare Assistant will meet the patient upon discharge and provide up to 24 hours of back-to-back care in the patient’s home.”

Senior Staff Nurses

Health and Personal Care Assistants who are part of the Complex and Palliative Continuing Care Service (CAPCCS) at Leeds PCT are supporting District Nursing teams with their patient caseload. They are trained to provide patients at home with not only healthcare but also social and personal care, such as cleaning, cooking and other household tasks.

Integrating health and social care into one service minimises coordination between the two and ensures patients’ care needs are met more effectively. Patients with reduced mobility or those living alone without a carer to help out could really benefit from this kind of support.

Care Homes End of life Supportive Services (CHESS) facilitators support care home staff in providing palliative care to their residents through training workshops and better links to local community services.

The South Leeds Specialist Day Care facility in Middleton, is a joint partnership service with Sue Ryder Care Wheatfields Hospice and St Gemma’s Hospice. The centre provides a range of hospice services closer to home for patients living in the area. Services include healthcare, physiotherapy and complementary therapies.

Black and Minority Ethnic Palliative Care Link Worker Tim Brown looked at improving access to palliative care for communities from various ethnic and religious backgrounds in Leeds.

Tim said: “I engage with local faith and ethnic community leaders to understand their cultural, language and religious needs when accessing palliative care. Some of the actions we are driving forward include transcultural training packs, better use of interpreting services and work with these communities to raise awareness on end of life issues.”

A Palliative Care Coordinator for Patients and Carers, Sian Cartwright, mapped out support services in Leeds as well as asking patients, their families and carers what improvements they would like in their area.

Improving access to palliative care information and training for patients, carers and professionals

The Leeds Palliative Care website provides local information and resources relevant to patients, their families and carers. The website also provides information on how professionals can access local palliative care education and training opportunities.