Staff at LOROS Hospice have said they already work in accordance with the new guidelines issued by NICE, which states that dying people should be given better end-of-life care with more focus on their individual needs.
NICE (National Institute for Health and Care Excellence) have said that it is important for doctors and nurses not to use a ‘tick-box’ approach or make ‘snap’ decisions when caring for patients at end of life.
Following the release of the guidance, clinical staff at the Groby Road Hospice have commented that they agree with NICE and that the team at LOROS always work hard to ensure the care they provide is unique and meets each patient’s individual needs.
Director of Care Services Jo Kavanagh said: “We welcome the comments made by Nice and absolutely agree with what they have said.
“As specialists in end-of-life care, we always try to provide only the highest quality of care to ensure that every patient’s needs are met, including their psychological, spiritual and social needs in addition to the physical care provided.
“For 30 years, LOROS Hospice has been providing high-quality and compassionate care for terminally ill patients across Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland.
“Since LOROS welcomed their very first patient in 1985, the Hospice has ensured the patient’s needs are at the centre of everything we do.”
Staff at LOROS work closely with healthcare professionals at the University Hospitals within the community to ensure all patients have good end-of-life care.
Jo added: “We understand that each of our patient’s needs is different and unique to them, so we work closely with both the patient and their families and carers to ensure we can provide the best possible end-of-life care.
“We always strive to meet their wishes, involving the patients and their families and carers in decisions about care.”
LOROS also has a proactive education department which provides a wide range of palliative and end-of-life care training to enhance the skills and knowledge of health and social care staff both locally and regionally across the East Midlands.
The guidelines from NICE come at the same time as LOROS have announced plans to start working on a £6 million extension next summer.
Part of the project, which has two phases, will include a brand new state of the art Clinical Skills Centre.
Work on the centre, which will ensure LOROS is the leading voice in end-of-life care, is set to begin in 2017.
The new stand-alone Clinical Skills Centre, which will allow staff at LOROS to pass on their expertise in palliative care, not only regionally but at a national level too.
