Direct access by GPs to palliative nursing.

Area of Science:

• Palliative Care
• Nursing Support
• General Practice

Background:

• Current models of palliative care referral often involve intermediaries.
• There is a need to streamline access to specialist community palliative nursing support for terminally ill patients.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the impact of direct GP access to specialist community palliative nursing support.
• To assess GP satisfaction with a new direct access referral pathway.

Main Methods:

• A pilot study was conducted involving General Practitioners (GPs).
• GPs referred terminally ill patients to a community palliative care team via direct medical or nursing assessment.
• Referral rates and service utilization were monitored.

Main Results:

• The overall referral rate to the community palliative care service increased during the study period.
• The direct access service was positively received by GPs.
• A significant majority of referrals (75%) were for patient and family support.

Conclusions:

• Direct access by GPs to community palliative nursing support is feasible and increases service utilization.
• The findings support the integration of nursing-led assessments in palliative care.
• This model enhances support for terminally ill patients and their families.