Introduction
Death and dying are inevitable. Being able to live as well as possible until we die is something that we all value. The needs of people of all ages who are living with dying, death and bereavement, their families, carers and communities, must be addressed, considering their priorities, preferences and wishes. Personalised care in the last year(s) and months of life will result in a better experience, tailored around what really matters to the person, and more sustainable health and care services (NHS England).
NHS England - About palliative and end of life care
Treatment and care towards the end of life - professional standards - GMC (gmc-uk.org)
Palliative care is the holistic care of patients with advanced, progressive, incurable illness, focused on the management of a patient’s pain and other distressing symptoms and the provision of psychological, social and spiritual support to patients and their family. Palliative care is not dependent on diagnosis or prognosis and can be provided at any stage of a patient’s illness, not only in the last few days of life. The objective is to support patients to live as well as possible until they die and to die with dignity (GMC, 2022).
Treatment and care towards the end of life - professional standards - GMC (gmc-uk.org)
Patients are ‘approaching the end of life’ when they are likely to die within the next 12 months. This includes:
- patients whose death is expected within hours or days
- patients who have advanced, progressive incurable conditions
- patients with general frailty and coexisting conditions that mean they are expected to die within 12 months
- patients at risk of dying from a sudden acute crisis in an existing condition
- patients with life threatening, acute conditions caused by sudden catastrophic events.
The term ‘approaching the end of life’ can also apply to:
- extremely premature neonates whose prospects for survival are known to be very poor
- patients who are diagnosed as being in a persistent vegetative state (PVS) for whom a decision to withdraw treatment and care may lead to their death (GMC 2022).