Congratulations to Dr Rachel Green, GP Clinical Lead for Cancer and Palliative Care, Lorraine McPherson, Macmillan Cancer and Palliative Care Facilitator, Ashleigh Ward, Nurse Consultant for Cancer and Palliative Care, and Dr Sarah Miller, Consultant in Palliative Medicine and Lead for Acute Palliative Care, for their outstanding work in improving palliative care across NHS Forth Valley.
The team is behind the ‘More Than the Last Breath’ project – now known as ‘Spectrum of Palliative Care’ – which was developed in response to feedback from staff across acute, community, and social care settings about the challenges they face in supporting people with life-limiting conditions and their families.
The project focuses on helping staff recognise when a patient is entering a palliative phase, including periods of decline and signs of active dying. As part of this work, the team developed a teaching poster that acts as a visual prompt for future care planning and holistic support. The easy-to-understand infographic was recently recognised as a runner-up for the Derek Doyle Poster Prize at the Scottish Partnership for Palliative Care Conference.
The approach has gained impressive traction:
- It is now in use across most care homes and prisons in NHS Forth Valley.
- The Scottish Ambulance Service is actively using the tool.
- It is being trialled in CAU and AAU — a first in Scotland — to identify palliative care needs earlier in a patient’s hospital journey.
- Other NHS Boards are adopting the model.
- The Universities of Stirling and Glasgow are currently evaluating the initiative.
- The approach has also been adopted by the Scottish Government as an example of best practice, and will be featured in the upcoming Scottish Palliative Care Strategy.
Educational sessions have already taken place with local care homes, prisons, and community nursing teams, supporting wider implementation and understanding.
If you work in acute or community services and are interested in using this tool to support your team and patients, please contact Dr Rachel Green.
