Introduction
Gold Standards Framework (GSF) applies to patients in the last 6-12 months of life. It was developed in primary care.
Key points include:
- A palliative care register – this is held by the GP and identifies patients approaching the end of their life. It enables the primary care team to monitor the patient’s progress, anticipate their health and social care needs (including preemptive prescribing for anticipated symptoms or complications) and prioritise Advance Care Planning (enabling patients to express their preferences for care at the end of their life).
- Education for all staff involved with end of life care.
- Improved communication between disciplines and across care settings during the day and out-of-hours.
Advance care planning tools
There are a number of different documents available across the West Midlands. They are all aimed at prompting patients to discuss and document their Preferred Priorities for Care as they approach the end of life.
This might include:
- The patient’s preferences for their health and social care e.g. where they would prefer to be cared for in the final days of life.
- Which treatments, if clinically indicated, they would choose to accept or decline, given the likely progression of their condition including CPR.