Updated framework for children’s palliative care

Together for Short Lives promotes a care pathway approach to children’s palliative care and has published four care pathways:

• A neonatal care pathway for babies with palliative care needs
• A core care pathway for children with life-threatening and life-limiting conditions
• A transition care pathway
• A care pathway to support extubation within a children’s palliative care framework.

The standards framework document sets out the key standards that form the backbone of these four care pathways, for easy reference. It also includes quality markers for children and young people’s palliative care services and self-assessment audit tools so that services can map their performance and develop the areas where standards may not be fully met.

The Standards framework for children’s palliative care can be downloaded for free from the Together for Short Lives website, along with a number of other resources.