Marie Curie launch service to support end of life care patients in Enfield hospital Emergency Department

The service will see two Palliative Care Consultants, a Clinical Fellow and a team of Marie Curie Nurses and Healthcare Assistants working closely with hospital colleagues at NMUH to improve experiences for patients in the last year of life, and their families.

The aim is to help identify patients with palliative care needs earlier during emergency admissions, support clinical decision making and coordinate the most appropriate care, ensuring they are treated with dignity and that their wishes are met.

The two-year project - set up and funded by Marie Curie in partnership with Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust - comes at a pivotal time, as recent Marie Curie research revealed that almost 1 in 3 people currently die without the end of life care they need.

Further Marie Curie research has shown the demand for palliative care support in hospitals, as 1 in 8 people who died in England and Wales in 2023 spent more than 30 days in hospital during their last three months of life, and almost half visited the ED once or more. This demonstrates the need for more focus on supporting early discharges to patients’ preferred place of care as well as better integration within community services to avoid unnecessary hospital admissions.

Dr Antke Hagena, Marie Curie Consultant and Department Lead for Palliative Care at NMUH NHS Trust, began working out of the ED in December 2024. The service saw 280 patients in the first six months, and for 73% of these patients this was their first contact with palliative care. To build on the success of this early work, a new team of two Marie Curie Nurses and two Healthcare Assistants were recently positioned in the ED – meaning even more patients will have access to end of life care and support.

Antke says: “Many people nearing the end of life have to rely on ambulance and emergency services during periods of crisis, as most are not known to palliative care services. Sadly, this often leads to delays in receiving the best care which can be deeply distressing for the individual, their loved ones, and the staff who care for them.

“Over the past year and a half, we’ve already seen the huge difference integrated palliative care expertise can make to the experiences of ED patients at end of life, and their families. The feedback we’ve received has been incredibly positive and I’m looking forward to expanding the service with the support of additional Marie Curie colleagues to make even more of an impact.”

Once the induction phase is complete, Marie Curie Nurses and Healthcare Assistants will work with NMUH teams to provide timely, high-quality palliative care in the ED through:

Gem Davies, Head of Nursing and Quality at Marie Curie, is helping to lead the nursing team. She says:

“What people at end of life need most is planned and compassionate support. Having palliative care experts embedded in NMUH ED means these patients can be identified faster and provided with the right care plan for them. In turn, this will also help reduce unnecessary hospital admissions in the last months of patient’s lives. It’s a hugely innovative service and I’m proud to be part of it.”

Vicky Jones, Medical Director at North Middlesex University Hospital, said:

“This is a hugely important project, which will make a real difference to people in our emergency department who are near the end of their life. Our teams will work closely with the Marie Curie team to ensure that patients and their families can receive compassionate care and support in a setting that is right for them.”

For further info, contact the Marie Curie Press Office: media@mariecurie.org.uk/ 0845 073 8699