NWL NHS Introducing enhanced end-of-life beds to improve patient care

The 46 new beds will be a significant step forward in providing compassionate and specialised care for patients nearing the end-of-life and will double our existing bed capacity.

The new beds will be available to residents of all eight boroughs in north west London. They are designed to bridge a gap in our current healthcare provision that many residents who contributed to the development of the proposed new model of care identified, and will help ensure that patients receive the quality of palliative care they need.

The enhanced end-of-life beds will be integrated into existing community bed services, such as nursing homes or other community bedded units. These beds will be staffed 24/7 by nurses and healthcare assistants, who have received specialised training in palliative and end-of-life care. There will also be a weekly ward round of the patients admitted to the enhanced end-of-life beds by the community specialist palliative care team, and patients will have access to the community specialist palliative care multidisciplinary team throughout their admission.

This initiative addresses the needs of patients who do not meet the criteria or need for a hospice inpatient bed, but can't stay at home, don't wish to stay at home, and prefer not to be in a hospital for their care. This is especially true for those living alone without a local support system. They also offer the possibility of short-term respite care.

By offering this intermediate level of care, we can ensure that more patients have access to the specialised support they need in a comfortable and familiar community setting, reducing unnecessary hospital emergency department attendances.

Expert support around the clock

Each enhanced end-of-life bed will be supported by specially trained staff, including registered nurses and healthcare assistants with expertise in palliative care and end-of-life care. The staff will provide continuous care, ensuring that patients receive 24-hour support of their palliative care needs.

A key feature of this service is the weekly ward round of the patients admitted to the enhanced end-of-life beds by the community specialist palliative care team, with access to the community specialist palliative care multidisciplinary team throughout their admission.

Collaborative and comprehensive care

The patient will remain under the care of the registered GP, as if the case with all community bedded care, however the supervision of these beds will be by the adult community specialist palliative care team and their multidisciplinary team.

The community specialist palliative care team will regularly collaborate with the registered GP, other community supporting services and the patient, including those who matter most to them, to support personalised care.

"This new service has the potential to address an unmet need for our residents in north west London. By providing these specialised care beds, we can offer more patients the opportunity to receive the palliative care they need in a supportive, dignified environment, closer to their loved ones." said Dr Lyndsey Williams.

Further information – proposed improvements in adult community specialist palliative care for all eight north west London boroughs

In addition to the introduction of 46 new enhanced end of life care beds, the proposed improvements to adult community specialist palliative care in north west London include:

• Maintaining the 57 consultant-led hospice specialist palliative care inpatient beds currently available, which our analysis shows will meet community needs over the next five years.
• A specialist palliative care nursing team available 12 hours a day (8am to 8pm), 7 days a week, across all boroughs.
• 24/7 telephone support for palliative care advice for all north west London residents whether they are known or not to the specialist palliative care teams.
• “Hospice at Home” services 24/7 if necessary in patients own home.
• Specialist palliative care outpatient clinics.
• Improved access to psychological and bereavement support for families
• Expanded lymphoedema services for conditions related to both cancer and non-cancer causes. Lymphoedema is a long-term condition where a build-up of lymph fluid in your body's soft tissues causes swelling.

You can find more information about enhanced end-of-life care beds in the compassionate care for all public consultation and new model of care documents.

You can find out how to respond to the consultation here.