Background Only 40% of hospitals demonstrated good practice in the care of patients with tracheostomies. Six recommendations have been made to improve the care they receive. These include having a protocol and mandatory training to ensure that staff are competent in recognising and managing common airway complications (National Confidential Enquiry into Patient Outcome and Death, 2014). There is little research or evidence about the quality of care patients with an altered airway receive in adult hospices.

These patients usually have complex care needs and present a significant challenge for hospices in that staff are not caring for patients with an altered airway regularly enough to maintain competence and confidence in this area.

Aims In-patient (IPU) clinical staff will be competent and confident caring for patients with altered airways.

Intervention Mandatory, continuous education programme titled ‘Essentials in tracheostomy and laryngectomy care in the hospice setting’.

Methods

• Pre– and post– education intervention on–line survey to all clinical staff undertaking the educational intervention;

• Practical simulation of the care of patients with an altered airway;

• Assessment of confidence and competence in caring for patients with an altered airway.

Findings This educational intervention is on-going. Analysis of the accumulative data will be undertaken in September 2019 and reported in the proposed paper.

Conclusion This appears to be the first evaluation of its kind; addressing retention of knowledge and assessment of competence/confidence in an adult hospice caring for patients with an altered airway.