National Council for Palliative Care
The National Council for Palliative Care (NCPC) is the umbrella organisation for all those who are involved in providing, commissioning and using palliative care and hospice services in England , Wales and Northern Ireland . NCPC promotes the extension and improvement of palliative care services for all people with life-threatening and life-limiting conditions. We promote palliative care in health and social care settings across all sectors to government, national and local policy makers. Services in Scotland are provided by our sister organisation, The Scottish Partnership for Palliative Care.
Showcase – Palliative and end of life care for people with heart failure or renal conditions
One of the NCPC's policy groups focuses on the challenges of palliative and end of life care for people with heart failure or renal conditions.
Working with the British Heart Foundation and the Arrhythmia Alliance, the Heart Failure and Renal policy group produced guidance to support clinicians in managing some of the possible dilemmas that implantable cardioverter defibrillators can create in advanced disease management. It can be difficult for clinicians to initiate discussions about the possibility of deactivating the defibrillator function of the ICD at the end of life, even though this may be in the person's best interests. The guidance suggests the possibility needs to be discussed when the function is inserted to reduce the risk of potential complications. Implantable cardioverter defibrillators in patients who are reaching the end of life is freely available at: (www.ncpc.org.uk/policy/icd.html )
he group is now taking forward work to ensure that the End of Life Care Strategy and the NHS Next Stage Review are effectively implemented for people with cardiac and vascular conditions. In particular, they are looking at ways to develop professional competencies as outlined in the Strategy.
Priorities
- Monitoring and influencing the effective implementation of the End of Life Care Strategy in England , including considering specific patient and professional needs relating to individual conditions such as heart failure
- Supporting development and implementation of related policies in Wales and Northern Ireland
- Ensuring that the development of palliative and end of life care policy and services is systematic and links with related policies such as the NHS Next Stage Review, the National Dementia Strategy and the Social Care Transformation agenda
- Developing policy and practice on ethical and relevant clinical aspects of palliative care
- Providing guidance and data analysis to support all sectors with delivering end of life care
- Facilitating closer working relationships regionally and locally across sectors, settings of care and with Local Authorities
- Playing a leading role in developing public and parliamentary awareness of end of life care.
Web: www.ncpc.org.uk
Email: esam@ncpc.org.uk
Emily Sam, Deputy Director of Policy Development
Tel: 020 7697 1520