South West Peninsula Postgraduate Medical Education (formerly South West Peninsula Deanery) recently picked up the National Patient Safety Congress award for its work in Cornwall around Advanced Care Planning. This adds to the HSJ award that has previously been given to this work.

The initiative aimed to train nursing home staff to complete advanced care planning for patients with diminished capacity. Staff and relatives were then encouraged to meet to complete a best interest document, with a ST4 trainee on hand if there were any queries.

The ST4 trainee also began to collaborate with the clinical nurse specialist for dementia in Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Primary Care Trust who had been developing her own training programme for nursing homes, focusing on care planning.

Nursing home staff were extremely receptive and embraced the training programme. It was observed that patients on reduced medication became more alert and more responsive, were able to eat and drink independently, enjoyed more sleep and were less prone to hallucinations.

The Deanery is keen to roll this out in Devon and Cornwall using its trainee workforce. PenCLAHRC, who will be evaluating the project.

See also:

An innovative model of care across the community and care home in Corwall

This project aims to improve the quality of life of people with dementia and their carers living in Corwall, ensuring they receive timely diagnosis and support to live well at home or in a care home, to end of life. Read more »

Improving end of life care for people with dementia in Cornwall

Partnership working in Cornwall between the acute environment and care homes is improving end of life care for people living with dementia, enabling them to die in their place of choice. Read more »