Context Increasing access to appropriate education and training in palliative and end-of-life care are widely recommended to improve patient care. Coordinating and delivering an up-to-date education programme to meet the needs of varied health and social care professionals takes significant time and resources. We decided to approach this from a locality perspective, aiming to make the most effective use of all resources available.

What is being done?All relevant local organisations agreed to be involved, including hospices, acute trust, community service providers, clinical commissioning groups and social care.

An overall strategy was developed following local consultation, and an action plan developed:

1 – Scope available resources and compile and publicise a training directory

2 – Look for urgent gaps in training and how they may be filled

3 – Develop a competency framework covering health and social care

4 – Map the competency framework to the training directory and ensure a fully rounded programme is in place

5 – Incentivise attendance at training.

Progress and outcomes

• A training directory has been developed, and its impact being measured by monitoring subsequent access to training

• Urgent gaps identified:

  • Training in primary care on DNACPR and care in the last days of life. Locality based sessions held, attended by over 80 GPs; well-evaluated and well-attended

  • Communication skills training – a coordinated programme is being developed, using trainers from each major provider

• A competency framework has just been developed and organisations are starting to link to appraisal and PDR processes

• Liaison is taking place around contract requirements for care homes to include attendance at training

Sustainability Training being planned is cost neutral. Initiatives have needed time investment, but are reducing duplication and coordinating work better between organisations.

This model and approach has been effective, and could easily be duplicated.