Paramedics recognised for palliative care scheme

The scheme was developed in 2021 by Nicholas Williams (pictured in the centre)

A team of paramedics who developed a scheme to ensure frail patients are given symptom-controlling drugs quicker have been given an award for their work.

Nicholas Williams, an advanced paramedic in urgent care with the East of England Ambulance Service, devised the plan while studying his Masters degree in 2021.

It allows medication to be authorised and administered at home under a Patient Group Direction (PGD) without a prescriber, a process that would usually take hours.

"I saw fragile and frail patients suffering with palliative and end-of-life symptoms in the community who had slipped through the system, and had not been connected with a GP or palliative, hospital team," Mr Williams said after receiving the award for outstanding patient care.

The Palliative and End of Life PGD team - made up of advanced paramedics and trainees in both clinical and urgent care, were recognised by the East of England Ambulance Service NHS Trust (EEAST).

The scheme allows medication to be administered quickly to frail patients under palliative care

Under the scheme, drugs are prescribed to patients experiencing pain, nausea, agitation or delirium and breathlessness.

'Necessity'

The EEAST said the team had "developed bespoke training in palliative emergency care, and are dedicated in their mission to ensure all patients receive the best care possible in their last minutes, hours or days, within the comfort of their own homes where possible."

Mr Williams said the programme was borne "out of necessity".

He said ambulance crews often had to rely on communicating with out-of-hours and specialist teams to arrange medication, which could take hours to be prescribed.

"Sadly many patients passed away in hospital, which was not where they wished to be," he said.

The EEAST team worked with the Hospice of St Francis to develop and deliver training in palliative emergency care and the advanced practice team underwent training with the hospice's clinical team.

Since January, 45 patients had been treated and had successful or partial symptom control.

All patients avoided admission to accident and emergency departments and more than 40 had been able to remain at home with a hospice or GP follow up.