Summary by Dr Markus Schichtel, GP and post-doctoral researcher at the Palliative and End of Life Care Group at the Primary Care Unit, University of Cambridge. National and international guidelines advocate advance care planning (ACP) to facilitate better end-of-life care in heart failure. ACP is a voluntary process of discussion between patients, family clinicians and […]
GP Anticipatory prescribing of “Just in Case” medication for end of life care at home: an established practice that requires careful application
GPs looking after patients close to the end of life at home prefer to prescribe ‘anticipatory medications’, also known as ‘Just in Case’ drugs, weeks ahead of likely need whenever possible, according to a new study from the Cambridge Primary Care Unit. Anticipatory medications are intended to relieve symptoms that might emerge as patients approach […]
Rapid changes in end-of-life care will affect patients at home and in care homes in the UK
Family members are being trained to administer drugs in case doctors or nurses are not available to give injections when needed and new palliative care drugs are being considered for use during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to research carried out at the height of the pandemic. Dr Stephen Barclay and Dr Barbara Antunes from the […]
Patient and public involvement in general practice research
Ben Bowers, Roberta Lovick, Kristian Pollock and Stephen Barclay draw on experience as three researchers and one PPI group member in their recently published discussion of patient and public involvement in primary care research. Their article was published in the British Journal of General Practice. Highlighting some key challenges and practicalities involved in timely, proportionate and effective collaborations in […]
Advance care planning should be person-centred, not plan-centred, say end-of-life care researchers in BMJ editorial
Compared to younger people, older people and those with frailty are more likely to die from acute infections, such as COVID-19, and less likely to survive intensive care. Advance care planning conversations rarely took place with older or frail people before the pandemic, but have now become prominent in the media amidst concerns about denial […]
Dr Stephen Barclay provides expert help on end of life care in the community during the pandemic
As the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic develops, increasing numbers of seriously ill and dying patients are being cared for at home and in care homes by GPs, nurses, and their families and friends. Significant challenges are emerging for primary care practitioners including: symptom management for the dying phase of COVID-19; planning and coordination of […]
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