Health Minister announces development of palliative and end of life care strategy

Health Minister, Michael McGimpsey, today announced the development of a Strategy for Palliative and End of Life Care by the end of 2010.

Services for patients with palliative care needs have developed considerably over the past decade. The aim of the Strategy will be to improve the quality of care for adult patients with advanced progressive illness in Northern Ireland.

The Strategy will also make recommendations on enhancing palliative care skills among healthcare professionals to ensure a co-ordinated, integrated approach.

The Minister said: “I am committed to providing people with the highest quality care at all stages of their treatment, including palliative and end of life care.

“Research has found that approximately two-thirds of people in the UK would, if they had a terminal illness, like to die at home, yet for the majority this isn’t currently possible. The Strategy will help ensure palliative care services, wherever possible, will be provided in a way that meets the particular needs and wishes of patients, their carers and families.

“My Department will be seeking the views of a range of stakeholders, particularly the views of patients and carers, as the Strategy is developed.”

“To ensure such services are responsive and tailored to individual needs, I have already set a target that, by March 2011, each Health and Social Care Trust should have in place multi-disciplinary palliative and end of life care teams.”

The Strategy will build on this commitment and set out the future direction of services for this important aspect of patient care.

The Minister concluded: “My Department will, in developing the Strategy, also continue to work closely with statutory health and social care professionals, and voluntary and community organisations.”

Notes to Editors:

• Palliative care is the active, holistic care of patients with advanced progressive illness. Management of pain and other symptoms and provision of psychological, social and spiritual support is paramount. The goal of palliative care is to achieve the best quality of life for patients and their families. Many aspects of palliative care are also applicable earlier in the course of the illness in conjunction with other treatments (World Health Organisation 2002).
• During an Assembly debate in December 2007, the Health Minister gave his commitment to the reform and modernisation of supportive and palliative care in Northern Ireland, to allow more people with palliative care needs the opportunity to be cared for and die in the place of their choice – including their own homes.
• A Priorities for Action (PfA) target has been established, which is that by March 2011, each Health and Social Care Trust should have in place multi-disciplinary palliative and end of life care teams, and supporting service improvement programmes, to provide appropriate palliative care in the community to adults who require such services. Health and Social Care Trusts will be required to take action to meet this target, which will be monitored by the Department.
• In addition to the PfA target, service improvement measures will also be identified and implementation plans developed to introduce and sustain these improved services.
• The development of a Palliative and End of Life Care Strategy will provide a strategic framework for Health and Social Care commissioners and providers, as well as voluntary and non-statutory organisations, as they seek to design and deliver high quality and patient centred palliative and end of life care services for patients, their families and carers.
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