Pre-Hospital Care Podcast Palliative and End of Life Care in Pre-hospital Care with the PEoLC team. Episode 1
In this episode of the Pre-Hospital Care Podcast, we explore the evolving role of ambulance clinicians in palliative and end-of-life care. We’re joined by a dedicated team working to improve how prehospital services support patients in their final months, ensuring care is compassionate, coordinated, and patient-centred.
We introduce the team and their roles before breaking down the key concepts of palliative and end-of-life care. We discuss the differences between generalist and specialist palliative care, the challenges of identifying patients in the last year of life, and the critical role ambulance services play in this journey.
The conversation then moves to the service gaps and educational challenges identified within prehospital care. We examine referral pathways, tools like SPICT for early identification, and how technology shapes advanced care planning (ACP) to help inform decision-making. The team also highlights the importance of education in building clinician confidence when navigating these complex cases.
Looking ahead, we discuss the future of prehospital palliative care, including the role of simulation training, national collaboration, and addressing healthcare inequalities. We also explore opportunities for joint learning, debriefs, and improved care pathways to strengthen the connection between ambulance services and specialist palliative care teams.
The SPICT tool can be found here: https://www.spict.org.uk/the-spict/
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