RCGP and Marie Curie join forces on end of life care

The Royal College of GPs (RCGP) today announces an innovative partnership with leading end of life care charity Marie Curie to improve care for patients nearing the end of their lives, including vulnerable patients such as those with dementia and learning disabilities.

The new collaboration was announced today by RCGP President Professor Mike Pringle at the College's Annual Primary Care Conference in Harrogate - the biggest gathering of GPs and primary care health professionals in the UK.

The three-year programme of work will prioritise advanced care planning; patient choice of place of death; pain management; health inequalities, and commissioning issues.

Proposed outcomes of the programme include:

• new clinical guidelines for GPs and primary care teams
• online tool kits and support for healthcare professionals
• promotion of primary care training in the area of EOLC
• identification of local and national developments in EOLC to shape RCGP policy
• influence and support for clinical commissioning groups in EOLC planning

The programme will be led by Dr Peter Nightingale, who was appointed joint RCGP and Marie Curie Clinical Lead for End of Life Care earlier this year.

As part of the programme, Dr Nightingale will be hosting a series of regional roundtable events with key stakeholders, across the UK, from late October, to share expertise on how to best commission services and promote best practice.

Dr Nightingale said: "End of Life Care is a critical area for GPs as it affects nearly everyone at some stage in their lives. It has been a priority for the College since 2008 and this partnership is an exciting opportunity to really make a difference to the clinical care and compassion that patients receive at the end of their lives."

Marie Curie Medical Director, a former GP, Dr Bill Noble, said: “As the leading end of life care charity, Marie Curie is committed to working with GPs and those who commission services to improve care for anyone who needs care towards the end of their lives.

“GPs play an essential role – especially for patients cared for at home. Ensuring better pain control for these patients is likely to be a high priority. It is important that those people nearing the end of life are identified early to enable better planned and coordinated care in line with their needs and wishes. GPs are key to achieving this and we hope that our partnership will deliver tangible benefits to patients, their families and the GPs who support them.”