The Gold Standards Framework Hospital programme: implementation and progress

Area of Science:

• Healthcare management
• Palliative care
• Service development programmes

Background:

• Approximately one-third of hospital inpatients are in their final year of life.
• Many end-of-life patients experience repeat, unplanned hospital admissions.
• National policies advocate for patient choice in end-of-life care (EOLC) planning.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe the implementation and impact of the Gold Standards Framework Hospitals (GSFH) service development programme.
• To evaluate the effectiveness of GSFH training in improving EOLC.

Main Methods:

• GSFH training and resources equip general hospital staff teams.
• Staff develop skills in identifying patients nearing end-of-life.
• Patients' needs are rapidly assessed, and advance care planning (ACP) is offered.

Main Results:

• Audit data indicates GSFH-trained teams identify patients needing EOLC earlier.
• ACP is offered, targeting individual patient care needs.
• The GSFH model is adopted by over 350 hospital wards.

Conclusions:

• GSFH training enhances the identification and care of patients nearing end-of-life.
• Widespread adoption and accreditation seeking demonstrate the program's value.
• The GSFH programme promotes sustainable, good practice in EOLC management.