New education alliance on palliative and end-of-life care launches in Bolton
Three leading Bolton health organisations have come together to champion and develop the town’s palliative and end of life care provision.
The University of Bolton, Bolton NHS Foundation Trust and Bolton Hospice have joined forces to create ‘BOLTON: Palliative Care Education Alliance.’
The Alliance’s vision is that all three organisations will work together to provide the best training possible for all health and care workers involved in end of life support for patients and their families.
The launch event at the University of Bolton also saw the launch of two new courses – a BSc (Hons) and a postgraduate certificate in Palliative and End of Life Care.
Key speakers at the event included Dr Barbara Downes, Clinical Lead for Palliative Care and Haematology at Royal Bolton Hospital who told the audience that the skills involved in palliative care are many and complex – from technical skills in assessing, addressing and managing needs to developing communication and even self-preservation skills.
Dr Downes said: “Patients who come under our umbrella are those with life-shortening illness – that includes dementia and the increasing numbers of frail elderly people. A third of the NHS Budget is spent on last year of life care.
“Improving care for patients and families is the gold standard. This is what patients expect and need.”
The UK already has world-leading end of life care standards, according to a study which compared 80 countries but with an aging population, demands are set to increase, meaning more health care professionals will need training.
Head of Health Sciences, Jane Howarth commented: “It is great to see the UK at the top of a health care league table. It is an indicator that we are doing it right and we can continue to be world leaders, but to do that we must look to the future and how we support people facing the end of their life with the best possible care.”
For further information on the new courses go to www.bolton.ac.uk or email Sian Russell at [email protected]
Pictured are Jane Howarth with Jill Entwistle, Clinical Nursing Director at Bolton Hospice; Andy Wells, Palliative Care Educator, Bolton NHS Foundation Trust; Kondal Kandadi, Assistant Vice Chancellor (Academic) and Lecturer, Sian Russell.
