‘No terminally in poor health particular person ought to be dying in a hospital hall whereas in ache or misery’
Nurses have told of treating patients receiving end-of-life care in ‘unsafe’ corridors or makeshift spaces – including one woman who died on a bathroom floor
Sarah Williamson, director of nursing and quality at Marie Curie, said “no terminally ill person should die in a corridor(Image: Marie Curie)
Reacting to their ‘harrowing’ survey which revealed more than half of nurses taking part had treated patients in a makeshift area, Sarah Williamson, director of nursing and quality at Marie Curie, said “no terminally ill person should be dying in a corridor or a waiting room.”
Speaking to the Mirror, she said: “Today, a new survey of more than 1,100 nurses has revealed the front-line experiences of clinical practitioners caring for dying people across the UK. The results were alarming. 55% of nurses have treated patients in a corridor or non-designated clinical area such as a waiting room. More than 70% of nurses said staffing levels are a constraint or barrier to providing end of life care. More than half said a lack of time is a constraint to giving people end of life care.
“The survey also told us stories of confusion when a dying patient’s wishes could not be verified due to an over reliance on paper files, and care providers and the NHS using different electronic systems. One nurse recalled a terminal metastatic cancer patient who died on the bathroom floor after a CPR attempt: ‘We were never going to get her back. She died on the floor in the bathroom, undignified, family hysterical, staff all left traumatised.’
“Another nurse described an older man carrying his paper care plan in his pocket at all times so that he wasn’t subjected to intervention against his wishes.
“These harrowing stories have been incredibly difficult to read, but it’s so important that we are aware of the stark reality facing nurses, clinical teams, families and patients every day.
“As Director of Nursing and Quality at the UK’s leading end of life care charity Marie Curie, unfortunately, these testimonies feel all too familiar.
“A host of pressures on staffing, time and care planning are putting end of life care at risk, leaving some dying people facing distressing and undignified deaths. This is a symptom of a system under strain, but also lack of access to 24/7 support for people at the end of life with A&E often becoming a default in moments of crisis when there is nowhere else to turn.
“The nurses I work with everyday work hard to deliver the highest quality care possible, but right now the reality is that care is not up to scratch.
‘That’s what it means to die in dignity’
“No terminally ill person should be dying in a corridor or waiting room. No one should be receiving inappropriate CPR during their final moments against their wishes. And, when someone has taken the time to think about how they want to die, that decision should follow them, wherever they are and to whoever is caring for them. That’s what it means to die in dignity, and it should be a standard level of care.
“Marie Curie is currently trialling new ways of working with the NHS in hospital emergency departments and GP practices, to identify people approaching the end of life earlier and put the right support in place, including Advance Care Plans.
“But the issue runs much deeper. This autumn the UK Government is expected to publish a plan for England to overhaul end of life care, called the Modern Services Framework for Palliative and End of Life Care.
“We need to make sure the scope of this opportunity is not missed. We are calling for this to be a fully funded plan to deliver a 24/7 palliative care helpline to ensure there is access to round the clock care, medication and coordinated support to reduce the numbers being forced to turn to A&E.
“Everyone agrees that no one should die in pain or distress, something needs to change to make that happen. “
