Palliative Care Practice Development Steering Group

Minutes of Meeting held on

Wednesday 1st June 2016

10.00 am – 12.00 pm

Room WS201 Beatson West of Scotland Cancer Centre

Present: Shirley Byron (SB) (Chair), Karen Allan (KA), Paul Corrigan (PC), Una Gildea (UG), Susanne Gray (SG), Christina Hamill (CH), Wilma Cowie (WC), Les McQueen (LMcQ), Claire O’Neill (CO’N), Euan Paterson (EP), Jennifer Pennycook (JP), Sharon Pettigrew (SP), Helen Pickering (HP), Patricia O’Gorman (PO’G), Jackie Wright (JW), Karen MacKay (KMcK), Elaine O’Donnell (EO’D).

Apologies: Tara Coolidge, Margaret Connolly, Anne Louise Cunnington, Margaret Fitzpatrick, Russell Jones, Andy Gillies, Lesley Jackson, Jacqui Lindsay, Lynn McKendrick, Jane Miller, Deirdre Moriarty, Elaine Stevens, Graham Whyte, Rachel Thomas.

Minutes: Shirley Byron/Christina Hamill

1. / Welcome and Introductions
Shirley welcomed everyone to the meeting and introductions were made around the table.
2. / Minutes of Previous Meeting
The minutes of the previous meeting held on 2nd March 2016 were agreed.
3. / Action Points from Previous Meeting
·  Group members who hadn’t already done so have now sent comments to Russell Jones about how spiritual care, resilience and mindfulness are included into training and education.
·  SB circulated future dates for PCPDSG meetings.
·  SB circulated the new reporting template for collating education and training information to group members for comment.
·  PC contacted by group members with regard to difficulties accessing palliative care information from both the Palliative Care and Facing the Future Together websites.
·  SB contacted Sandra Shields regarding the patient friendly information leaflet developed by Dr Hazel Miller on AWI. Awaiting word when this will be available.
·  MF forwarded to group members “The 15 Steps Challenge” and the Tawel Fan Ward report.
·  LMcQ arranged and facilitated the first meeting of the education evaluation sub-group.
4. / Update on MCN subgroup feedback relating to PCPDSG
Care Homes
The next meeting is due to take place shortly. Wilma Hepburn, Nurse Advisor in Primary Care has been invited to attend the next meeting to give an overview on the roles and responsibilities of the Care Home Liaison Nurse (CHLN).
It has been suggested that the VoED policy and procedure be updated from completion in OOH to 24/7 in Care Homes. A short life working group has been established to take this forward.
Out of Hours
Representation from the Scottish Ambulance Service (SAS) stated that there has been discussion with Norrie Gaw, OOH GP Lead, regarding introduction of a PLE (Pronouncing Life Extinct) form to replace VoED. This has many implications for Care home staff and talks are still in progress. This will impact on the agenda of both Care home and OOH subgroups.
Updates on all subgroups of the MCN can be found in the quarterly reporting templates on the palliative care website: www.palliativecareggc.org.uk/professional/mcn
5. / Palliative Care Website
Palliative Care Online Information
PC updated the group on the palliative care website and StaffNet palliative care folder. The website Editorial Group is looking to recruit additional members from nursing or other disciplines. Any names can be sent to Paul.
User testing of the palliative care website took place earlier this year and highlighted a few issues including visibility of the Education Section. Website menus may be redesigned to better highlight education content. Further user testing of the website will continue and volunteers from nursing staff are being sought. PC circulated a draft test plan and requested help from group members in recruiting staff for user testing. SG offered to assist and will link in with PC.
EP asked if testing would involve a range of ages – PC confirmed this will be built into testing if enough volunteers can be recruited.
StaffNet Palliative Care folder – PC noted feedback from the group and others requesting that the Rapid Discharge document be highlighted on the website. Carolyn MacKay has written an introduction for this document that will be published on the website.
6. / Update on Education Template
SG demonstrated the Renfrewshire Training Calendar published on the Palliative Care website. It was noted that calendars from the Palliative Care Primary Care Team and Practice Development Team are also available on the website.
LMcQ noted that several pages came up on the palliative care website when searching for education and it may be difficult for non-palliative care staff to access appropriate education. PC agreed that this was also found in user testing of the website and that work would be undertaken to make it easier for staff to access education.
LMcQ also commented on the need for a robust reporting mechanism on education provided across the sectors and the evaluation methods used. He is working with the evaluation subgroup to explore current processes of evaluation.
It was agreed that there is a lot of future work to be undertaken around evaluation to capture the impact on patient care.
7. / Spiritual Care Feedback
A previous attachment was sent out to group members with the Agenda highlighting an algorithm prepared by RJ on “Emergency Marriage in Scotland”. Following the meeting Andy Gillies forwarded a template with four questions on Spiritual Care for group members to complete. This has been distributed to group members.
8. / GAEL update
CO’N discussed the Pilot sites using the GAEL bundle in the Acute sector. This was trialled in the Beatson in 2015. The GRI Respiratory wards Pilot is commencing in early June. There is a real push to implement the GAEL bundle. Calvin Lightbody has resigned from his post therefore there was no update. KMcK stated that there should be Consultant leadership involved to take this forward.
JW will discuss the progress of the Pilot in GRI with Paul Keeley.
David Gray has ideas on implementing GAEL in RAI.
A paper is being prepared on GAEL for the GGC deteriorating patient group in order to get their support.
Euan commented that there was a lack of medical input in the PCPDSG. Claire also informed everyone that Jane Edgecombe is re-establishing the Acute group. The first meeting will be held in August
Community nurses have had awareness sessions on GAEL and know how to access this information on the palliative care website. However, there are no plans to develop this further in Primary Care at present.
9 / A.O.C B
·  SG discussed the Palliative Care Kardex and the issue with regard to responsibility of dose range increases. Some nursing staff were uncomfortable with this and it often depended on the relationship with the medical staff.
UG agreed that although the Care homes were using the new kardex, nurses were not confident with dose ranges and this had caused some confusion in the Care homes.
Elayne Harris has developed an algorithm for the use of dose ranges with the Palliative Care Kardex in Primary Care. This is available on the palliative care website.
SB and HP commented that the training delivered by Carolyn Mackay on the new kardex had gone well in the N/E sector in Primary Care and community nurses were comfortable using the kardex and pink sheet.
Each sector has been supplied with 500 of the new kardexes until further supplies were available.
·  CO’N informed the group that there were three new NES facilitator posts covering Scotland. Elizabeth Sanchez-Vivar is NES Education Co-ordinator for the Strategic Framework for Action on Palliative and End of Life Care (SFA). Claire is meeting Elizabeth to discuss the concept of the education framework for the SFA.
·  Due to Fiona Wylie being on secondment SB asked if a colleague from Acute Practice Development would like to co-chair the PCPDSG. This will be given consideration by colleagues from the team.
9. / Date of Next Meetings:
Wednesday31st August at 10am -12md in the Conference Room, Eastbank Health Promotion Centre, Shettleston
PLEASE NOTE THE CHANGE OF VENUE FOR THIS MEETING DUE TO PRIOR ROOM BOOKINGS