A report released by the Center to Advance Palliative Care, in conjunction with the National Palliative Care Research Center (NPCRC), shows promising growth in palliative care services in US hospitals. The analysis confirmed that hospital-based palliative care teams have doubled since 2000 and now as many as 63 percent of US hospitals (with more than […]
Category: News
NICE consults on draft quality standard on end of life care
NICE is developing Quality Standards – a set of qualitative statements and quantitative measurements that act as a final distillation of clinical best practice – and is now requesting comments on 20 quality statements on end of life care. The aim of the standards is to clarify what high quality care looks like in relation to […]
Andrew Lansley announced as keynote speaker at ‘Widening Horizons’ conference
Secretary of state for health, Andrew Lansley, will deliver the keynote address at the Help the Hospices conference ‘Widening Horizons’ on 26 September 2011. Andrew Lansley’s appearance comes at a pivotal time for the sector, and acknowledges both his support and recognition of the hospice sector to date. To register, or for more information about […]
SHORT CUTS
Articles of interest in other scholarly journals Click on the article headings to view the abstracts A systematic review of combination step III opioid therapy in cancer pain: An EPCRC opioid guideline project Fallon MT, Laird BJ. Palliat Med 2011; 25 (5): 597-603 As the use of combinations of opioids is a common clinical practice […]
Call for applications: ‘The Ethics of Cancer and Palliative Care’ course
The MA/PG Dip, The Ethics of Cancer and Palliative Care, is a well established course, the only one of its kind within the UK, having run successfully for the past 20 years. Open to all healthcare professionals it aims to deepen participants’ understanding of healthcare ethics in the fields related to cancer and palliative care. […]
Launch of Palliative Care Funding Review could result in a fairer funding system for end of life care
An independent Palliative Care Funding Review released today recommends to the Government the introduction of the first ever palliative care funding structure in England, which could save the NHS up to £180 million per year and result in better care for patients at the end of life. The Review found that of the 457,000 people […]
Des Spence asks, are we in denial?
Des Spence, in his BMJ ‘From the Frontline’ piece, asks the question, “Assisted dying: are doctors in denial?” It turns out that, rather than being for or against legalisation of physician assisted suicide, Des suggests a third, pragmatic position. He suggests that doctors routinely withhold treatment and shorten patients’ lives with the use of large […]
New resource aims to advance measurement in palliative care
Patients are set to benefit from the new Palliative Care Outcome Scale (POS), a tool developed to assist clinicians, researchers and other healthcare workers in measuring physical symptoms; psychological, emotional and spiritual needs; and provision of information and support at the end of life. Developed by Professor Irene J Higginson, POS is a free resource […]
News and updates from palliativedrugs.com
Selected items from the News and Latest Additions sections of www.palliativedrugs.com, the world’s leading palliative care website. Safety Updates McKinley T34 extension sets: UK Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) issue recall All T34 syringe pump extension sets manufactured by CME (McKinley Medical UK) before 1 January 2011 have been recalled due to the […]
Millions worldwide are denied palliative care
Tens of millions of people worldwide are suffering in severe agony in their final days due to lack of access to pain medication, a Human Rights Watch report revealed. The report released this month is based on a survey of policy barriers to palliative care in 40 countries and an assessment of the availability of […]