Caring for people in the last days and hours of life - Guidance

Section 3: Guidance

Across Scotland, local resources exist to support the provision of good care to people in the last days and hours of life. This is being placed on the NHS Education Scotland newly established Clinical Knowledge Publisher portal that focusses on palliative and end of life care and can be accessed at http://www.ckp.scot.nhs.uk/ScottishGovernmentGuidanceEndofLifeCare/?id=1045.

Staff should familiarise themselves with local guidance and / or refer to the following:

• NHSScotland clinical guidelines published in November 2014 http://www.healthcareimprovementscotland.org/news_and_events/news/news_palliative_care.aspx

• National DNACPR Policy (currently undergoing a light-touch review - revisions due to be published by March 2015). http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Health/Quality-Improvement-Performance/Living-Dying-Well/DNACPR

• Adults with Incapacity Act Code of Practice http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2010/10/20153801/0
• Local guidance and resources can be uploaded to the online version of the Caring for People in the last few days and hours of life Guidance at http://www.ckp.scot.nhs.uk/ScottishGovernmentGuidanceEndofLifeCare/?id=1045. If local NHS Boards wish to do this please contact knowledge@nes.scot.nhs.uk