NHS Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland Integrated Care Board (LLR ICB) is asking for people’s views on the care people can expect to receive towards the end of their life.
Working closely with other local organisations, the LLR ICB has developed ‘Our All-Age Palliative and End of Life Care Strategy’, and is seeking the views of patients, family carers, staff, the public and wider stakeholders, to ensure that the strategy reflects the needs of local people.
The strategy will inform the development of local services in the future, and its purpose is to make sure that people who are in the last stages of their lives receive the care they need to keep them independent for as long as possible, to be comfortable, that their dignity and wellbeing is maintained and that they can die in a place of their choosing and with proper support for families and carers.
Dr Sulaxni Nainani, Deputy Chief Medical Officer at the LLR ICB, said: “Care at the end of life should be centred around the person. The quality of care they receive – and how and where they receive it – can make a huge difference to the individual and their family, friends and loved ones, as well as to the people that deliver the care.
“We recognise that this is an incredibly sensitive subject and making decisions about care at the end of life can be really difficult, for the patient and for their carers and loved ones. These are, however, some of the most important decisions any of us can make.”
Palliative care refers to care provided when conditions cannot be cured and aims to make the person as comfortable as possible, relieve pain and other distressing symptoms, and provide psychological, social and spiritual care, as well as support for families, carers and those close to the person.
End of life care is usually defined as care for people likely to die within a year, and is intended to enable people to live as well as possible until they die, and to die with dignity.
In developing the strategy, the LLR ICB worked closely with local organisations involved in providing palliative and end of life care, their staff, local voluntary organisations and other partners. They also spoke to people receiving end of life care and to their relatives, and their experiences have been invaluable in helping to develop the strategy.
Key priorities have been identified for the next five years, to improve the equity, access, quality, personalisation and responsiveness of services for people at the end of their lives and for their loved ones.
Dr Nainani added: “As well as being a sensitive issue, people’s preferences for how they are cared for towards their end of life are also highly individual, depending on their culture, beliefs and personal wishes. We would like to develop our services in a way that reflects the diversity of our local communities, and we are extremely keen to hear from everyone who would like to comment on our strategy, so that we can make changes where possible.
“We really encourage people to take the time to look at our strategy and to share their views with us.”
People have until Sunday 22 September 2024 to share their views in the following ways
- Visit the LLR ICB website and complete a questionnaire: https://leicesterleicestershireandrutland.icb.nhs.uk/be-involved/end-of-life-strategy-engagement/
- Email your views to: llricb-llr.beinvolved@nhs.net
- Telephone: 0116 295 7572 to ask for a paper copy of the questionnaire or to receive information in a different format
- Write to: Freepost Plus RUEE–ZAUY–BXEG, End of Life Engagement, Leicestershire and Rutland Integrated Care Board, Room G30, Pen Lloyd Building, Leicestershire County Council, Leicester Road, Glenfield, Leicester LE3 8TB
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