News from Leeds Palliative Care Network

View this email in your browser

Welcome to LPCN News February 2020!

Welcome to February’s edition of LPCN News.

We’ve got lots to update you on, including our newly published Strategy Outcomes Statement, an exciting new project about to start with our local University partners and an update on the progress of EPMA in our hospices.

As this is my final bulletin as Chair before Dr Adam Hurlow takes over the reins on 1 April, I’d like to personally thank everyone involved in LPCN for their support and commitment to ensuring palliative and end of life care in Leeds continue to go from strength to strength.

The future looks bright and I look forward to continuing to watch LPCN grow over the coming months.

Dr Mike Stockton, Chair, LPCN

LPCN Strategy Update

Thanks again to everyone who contributed to our strategy session at our Celebration Event in November.

As promised, we have taken your feedback and developed our Strategy Outcomes Statement, which will guide LPCN’s direction of travel over the coming months.

To view the Statement, click here.

Bereaved carers survey – now open!

This year’s Bereaved Carers Survey is now live across St Gemma’s and Wheatfield’s Hospices, Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust and GP surgeries in partnership with Leeds Community Healthcare NHS Trust throughout Leeds.

The survey will be given to all carers when they register a death in Leeds and will ask a range of questions about the quality of care they experienced in each
end of life care setting.

A big thank you to Healthwatch who are managing the survey on behalf of LPCN and we look forward to seeing the result when the survey closes at the end of April.

Working together to deliver a Whole Systems Approach

We are delighted to announce that from April, we will be working with Leeds Academic Health Partnership and academic partners to run a project aimed at developing a whole systems approach to palliative and end of life care services in the community of Leeds. Watch this space for further updates!

EPMA – both hospices now live!

St Gemma’s and Wheatfield’s Hospices are both now live using Electronic Prescribing and Medicines Administration (EPMA), a system which supports accurate and safer prescribing through predefined prescription templates, drug decision support alerts and prescription validation. Congratulations to everyone involved!

End of life care training for paramedics a success

The education team at LPCN have recently carried out training in end of life care for 60 paramedics across Leeds.

The training was well received by all those who took part with feedback including “It was a very informative session and the staff delivering it were experienced and knowledgeable” and “It has made me feel more confident in dealing with this sensitive patient group.” Great work!

Celebrating our successes!

Huge thanks and congratulations to network member, Suzanne Kite, Consultant in Palliative Care at Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust for her contribution to the NICE End of Life Care Service Delivery Guidelines.

It’s wonderful to see her work being recognised and celebrated by the Royal College of Physicians too. The guidelines can be viewed online here .

ReSPECT to commence in the community

Partners outside of hospital are working collaboratively to commence the use of the ReSPECT (Recommended Summary Plan for Emergency Care and Treatment) form within the EPaCCs template, to be known as Planning Ahead.

Targeted training for existing DNACPR signatories commences in March with a commencement date for use of 27 April 2020. Training for other clinicians will then be delivered over the forthcoming year. This will further extend advance care planning and coordinated care for patients.

What's coming up?

LPCN Group Meetings

2pm - 4.30pm - 25 March 2020
St. Gemma’s Hospice

Got an event to share? Let us know at LPCN@st-gemma.co.uk

Keep in touch

Follow us on Twitter!

You can be the first to hear about our latest news by following us on Twitter!

Tell us what you think, get involved and join in the
conversation @LeedsPCN