Palliative Care in Partnership Programme
The Palliative Care in Partnership (PCiP) programme was officially formed in Northern Ireland in September 2016, bringing together previous structures and workstreams from Living Matters, Dying Matters (2010) and the Transforming Your Palliative and End of Life Care programme (2013 – 2016) and taking cognisance of recommendations from the RQIA Review of Living Matters, Dying Matters (2016) and the key findings of the Let’s Talk About Palliative Care Survey (2016).
The Palliative Care in Partnership programme is based on the following principles:
- One structure, one regional work plan and one direction for palliative care in Northern Ireland;
- Good palliative care is everyone’s business – no one service, professional, organisation or person can provide everything required to support a person at the end of their life;
- Palliative care is not just for cancer;
- Palliative care is not just about the last weeks or days of life;
- Palliative care supports the person with palliative care needs and improves the experience of those important to them; and
- Good palliative care is about supporting quality of life until the end
The PCiP programme structure consists of:
Regional Palliative Care in Partnership Programme Board: co-chaired by the Director of Nursing and AHPs (PHA) and the Director of Hospital and community Care (SPPG, DoH). The Regional PCiP Programme Board encompasses 33 members representing organisations across the health and social care system and palliative and end of life stakeholders across Northern Ireland. The PCiP programme management is currently sponsored by Macmillan Cancer Support.
Clinical Engagement Group (CEG): provides a forum for palliative care clinicians/professionals from across Northern Ireland to share good practice and guidance, input to the development of and contribute to the progression of the regional Palliative Care in Partnership programme and work plan. Members are drawn from palliative care and professional forums and represent the key providers of palliative care in Northern Ireland namely the 5 HSC Trusts and the hospices (Foyle, Marie Curie, NI Hospice, Southern Area Hospice) and Macmillan, as well as General Practice, and District Nursing
Palliative Care in Partnership Voices4Care Group: a forum of NI based service users, carers and interested citizens whose membership and meetings are facilitated by the All Ireland Institute for Hospice and Palliative Care Voices4Care forum. This forum enables the engagement of service users and carers in all aspects of the regional palliative care work plan and key service developments.
Palliative Care Locality Boards: There are five Palliative Care Locality Boards across Northern Ireland which are co-terminus with HSC Trust boundaries and Local Commissioning Groups and build on previous structures already in place through Living Matters, Dying Matters and the Transforming Your Palliative and End of Life Care programme. The purpose of the Palliative Care Locality Boards is to promote collaborative working between key stakeholders at locality level and as a mechanism for communicating and facilitating the implementation of the regional palliative care priorities and activities at locality level. The Locality Boards are co-chaired by the HSC Trust Director with responsibility for palliative care and a nominated member of the local Integrated Care Partnership Committee or Local Commissioning Group. The Co-chairs of the Locality Boards are responsible for ensuring their membership is representative of local service provision and partnerships.
Palliative Care in Partnership Priorities: The key aim of the Palliative Care in Partnership programme is to provide regional direction so that everyone identified as likely to benefit from a palliative care approach (regardless of their condition):
- Is allocated a palliative care keyworker
- Has the opportunity to discuss and record their advance care planning decisions; and
- Is supported with appropriate generalist and specialist palliative care services to be cared for in their preferred place (whenever it is safe and appropriate to do so).
The programme aim is underpinned by:
- Regional good practice tools and guidance
- Communication
- A public health approach to palliative care
Palliative Care in Partnership Programme Mandate (2023)
Palliative Care in Partnership Programme Overview (November 2019)