Swansea Bay sets the standards for end-of-life care

PICTURED: Sue Morgan, Consultant in Specialist Palliative Care, outside the Y Rhosyn palliative care unit in Neath Port Talbot Hospital.

The standard of end-of-life care in Swansea Bay hospitals has been given a glowing review by relatives and friends in a national quality survey.

The health board received positive feedback in the quality survey, which is part of the National Audit of Care at the End of Life (NACEL) which gives an assessment of whether the care and support given to both patient, and family or friend, reached expectations.

The survey, consisting of quick questions, is offered to a relative or friend of someone who has died at Morriston, Singleton, Neath Port Talbot or Gorseinon hospitals and focuses on the priorities of the dying person, and those important to them.

Swansea Bay exceeded the national average in Wales and England for the highest possible rating in 23 of the 28 questions for the survey, which ran between January and June this year.

In Singleton, Neath Port Talbot and Gorseinon hospitals, a 100 per cent mark was given for ensuring families and others were informed adequately if they wished to be with the person when they died. The national average was 57 per cent.

There were considerable improvements made in a number of categories compared to the previous survey outcome in 2022. Staff explaining to a patient that they were likely to die in the next few days more than doubled its highest mark from 19 per cent to 51 in Morriston, compared to the national average of 38 per cent.

Similarly, the top mark for satisfaction for the level of pain relief achieved just under 60 per cent across all sites – rising from 35 per cent – compared to the national average of 43 per cent.

PICTURED: Sue Morgan is part of the team giving end-of-life care across the health board.

High marks were also recorded in relation to treating the patient with dignity and support provided to family and friends.

Sue Morgan, Consultant in Specialist Palliative Care, said: “The feedback from the NACEL survey has given us some excellent information about the quality of our delivery of end-of-life care in our hospitals.

“End of life care is one of our health board’s quality and safety priorities, and the survey results are hugely encouraging and highlight the work that has gone into improving this service.

“Staff have undergone training in recognising dying and supporting all elements of care at the end of life.  The health board has also invested in specialist palliative care.    

“The vital support of our Care After Death team has also been instrumental in the outcome as they provide relatives with information about the survey.

“I am grateful to all the relatives who have taken time to respond to the quality survey at a difficult time and am pleased to see both the improvements compared with previous years and how the care within Swansea Bay hospitals compares with other hospitals in England and Wales. 

“The results of the survey are testament to the work and commitment of the health board and its staff to delivering the best end-of-life care possible. Yet we know there is still more to do to further improve the experience of people dying in our hospitals.”

The survey is included in the health board’s bereavement pack, which is handed to the deceased’s family or friends, and is also available via email.

The structure of the survey also emphasises the importance of having discussions with loved ones about their end-of-life wishes.

This year, the health board’s End of Life Care team is focussing on ‘Advance and Future Care Planning’. This involves recognising patients who are coming to the end of their lives at the earliest possible stage, and generating conversations earlier, so their wishes are discussed, recorded and respected.

Dr Morgan added: “The sooner this is highlighted the more time it gives the patient, family members and healthcare professionals the opportunity to put things in place. It will also be a chance to have the ‘thank you, forgive me, I forgive you, I love you’ conversations.

“Having these conversations earlier allows us to plan care around what is important to the patient.”