A Bury St Edmunds-based hospice has welcomed a new approach to caring for people who are dying which is focussed on the needs and wishes of the patient and those close to them.

The approach, announced by Care and Support Minister Norman Lamb, takes the form of five new Priorities for Care which succeed the Liverpool Care Pathway as the basis for caring for someone at the end of their life.

Barbara Gale, chief executive at St Nicholas Hospice Care, said: “We welcome the new Priorities for Care and their focus on delivering compassionate, person-centred care. Here at St Nicholas Hospice Care we are committed to helping to improve care for people facing life-shortening illnesses and their families.

“We have long-standing experience of providing high-quality, personalised care, driven by people’s needs and preferences. As such, we are keen to share our knowledge and work with other organisations to help raise the standard of end-of-life care in all settings.

“We are always here if people need advice or want to talk and urge anyone with concerns to get in touch.”

The new Priorities for Care mean that:

n The possibility a person may die within the coming days and hours is recognised and communicated clearly, decisions about care are made in accordance with the person’s needs and wishes and these are revised and reviewed regularly;

n Sensitive communication takes place between staff and the person who is dying and those important to them;

n The dying person, and those identified as important to them, are involved in decisions about treatment and care;

n The people important to the dying person are listened to and their needs respected;

n Care is tailored to the individual and delivered with compassion – with an individual care plan in place.