Dr. Martin Vernon is a Consultant Geriatrician in South Manchester and is the BGS End of Life Care Lead.
Few can have escaped the media driven political debate that erupted in 2012 over the care of dying people in hospital and at home but you may be wondering what has happened since then. In July 2013, the Independent Review of the Liverpool Care Pathway published the report More Care, Less Pathway. In response to its recommendation for a system-wide strategic approach, the Leadership Alliance for the Care of Dying People (LACDP) was established to provide a focus for improving care of dying people and their families. You can learn more about the group here.
A Clinical Advisory Group (CAG) was established in September 2013 to consider Review recommendations specific to clinical practice and how these should influence practice. Dr Bee Wee, National Clinical Director for End of Life Care, chairs the group. The British Geriatrics Society is represented by me and the group includes representatives from NHS England, Royal College of Physicians, palliative care professionals, hospice and care home organisations, the Care Quality Commission, and a layperson. Continue reading