Members of staff on Sunrise A ward
Fern ward, at King George Hospital, and Sunrise A ward, at Queen’s Hospital, have each been accredited with the Gold Standards Framework, which ensures earlier recognition of patients with life-limiting illnesses, helping them to plan ahead, such as deciding where they want to be looked after.
They become the second and third wards at the two hospitals, run by BHRUT, to be accredited, joining Sunrise B ward at Queen’s, which was recognised in March.
Kanza Batool, a senior house officer on Fern ward, initially struggled with the concept of having difficult conversations about death and dying with patients and their families.
She said: “As a junior doctor, I was really scared at first about discussing the end of their lives with our patients. However, working with our end of life care team helped me realise why this was so important and gave me more confidence.
“It’s really beneficial as it helps me to build a better relationship with my patients and their families.”
Heather Wright, Palliative Care team leader, added: “I’m really proud of both our teams for achieving this. It’s been a lot of hard work, especially when they have a lot of competing priorities.
“The most important thing about identifying patients who are nearing the end of their lives is that it gives them more choice and control over their own care.”
The Gold Standards Framework also ensures more joined up care between the hospital and primary care in the community, as well as care homes.
Wards must apply for reaccreditation after three years.
Tags: BHRUT, Queen's Hospital, King George Hospital