More than 100 guests, including supporters, hospital and hospice staff and representatives from universities and government, attended the Scottish launch of PATCH at the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh on 14 October.
At the event, Chairman of PATCH Sir Michael Nairn outlined the need for more and improved palliative care services and Dr Pamela Levack, medical director of PATCH, described what exactly palliative care in a busy hospital would look like.
With 55% of Scots dying in hospital, PATCH was established to support hospitals to develop palliative care services. This could include funding for dedicated beds, staff, advisory services or research.
PATCH was inspired by the model of care developed in the acute palliative care unit in Ninewells Hospital, Dundee. Here, a short-stay three-bed acute palliative care unit was established through charitable funding, and is now funded by NHS Tayside.
Patients at Ninewells, who are identified as having a need, are transferred to the acute palliative care unit and under the care of a palliative medicine consultant. The unit is supported by palliative care nurses and other specialist staff, including a physiotherapist, a complementary therapist, an anaesthetist and a pharmacist.
While in the unit, any symptoms the patient is experiencing can be addressed, and there is time and space for the patient and their family to talk, receive emotional support and make plans for future care, including going home if this is what they want to do.
Current projects
Currently, PATCH is funding a training course for newly qualified doctors on talking to relatives about dying.
The charity has also funded:
- A Glasgow medical student to work with the Tayside hospital palliative care service and a second student to attend a national conference.
- A surgical staff nurse working in Edinburgh Royal Infirmary to do an MSc in Palliative Care and a second staff nurse in the same ward to do a Post Graduate Certificate in Palliative Care.
- A joint oncology and palliative care research project looking at why patients with cancer are admitted to hospital in pain and out of hours.
PATCH has identified two further project for which is would like to be able to fund:
- A five-day palliative care courses for hospital staff where St Columba’s Hospice nurses will work alongside hospital nurses.
- A PATCH interactive course, designed with the University of Dundee, where palliative care staff and hospital staff would learn together about looking after hospital patients with palliative care needs.
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