Collaborative working in end-of-life care: developing a guide for health and social care professionals

This article describes a project to develop collaborative working between palliative care nurse specialists and community matrons for patients with a non-cancer diagnosis. Pathways to clarify decision-making in end-of-life care were created as part of the project and were subsequently developed into a guide for use by health or social care professionals caring for any patient, irrespective of diagnosis. The guide is designed to facilitate best practice in end-of-life care, by identifying the key questions which need to be addressed and the appropriate responses at different stages of the patient journey. The project was supported by the Help the Hospices' Care Beyond Cancer programme, funded by the St James's Place Foundation. The programme is designed to identify models of effective, replicable end-of-life care provision for patients with a non-cancer diagnosis, and to widen access to specialist palliative care.