End of life care – invitation to share your experiences

News from our partners Healthwatch Shropshire 

Death and dying can be a very difficult topic to talk about. Whether the person is in hospital or being supported to die at home, there is only one chance for the providers of care to get it right.

Healthwatch Shropshire is asking if people would be willing to share their experiences of end of life care in the county. For example, did they feel that the care their loved one received was what they wanted and expected? Were they treated with dignity, and did they feel listened to and their wishes respected?

It is really important that those providing the care are open and honest with both the patient and relatives. Being better informed can reduce stress and anxiety, and help people understand what to expect. Healthwatch Shropshire would like to know whether the language used by those giving the care was appropriate, and did it prepare people for what was to happen? Were other ways of communicating found if the person’s preferences couldn’t be expressed verbally, either because of dementia or brain injury, for example?

Jane Randall-Smith, Chief Officer of Healthwatch Shropshire, said:

“We are keen to build up a picture of how well end of life care is working across Shropshire, and whether people feel that they received the right support for them.

“We want to find out whether care for the dying is equitable across the county, and if there is a joined-up approach between different services to end of life care.”

People can let Healthwatch Shropshire know about their experiences by phone 01743 237884, by email enquiries@healthwatchshropshire.co.uk or online www.healthwatchshropshire.co.uk. The more comments received, the more influence Healthwatch Shropshire has to improve services for local people.

Healthwatch Shropshire is the independent health and social care champion for people in Shropshire. It gathers the views and experiences of patients, carers and the public about services, including hospitals, GPs, mental health services, community health services, pharmacists, opticians, residential care and children’s services. It then make reports and recommendations about how these services could or ought to be improved based on the information received from members of the public. This is shared with providers and commissioners of services who have a statutory duty to listen to Healthwatch, and act on

Further information 

Healthwatch Shropshire is one of a network of 148 Local Healthwatch in England. It is supported by a national organisation, Healthwatch England.

It has a team working in community engagement, plus a volunteer programme, a visit programme to health and social care premises, an advocacy service and an associate membership scheme to involve the public in its work. It also has a signposting service to help people access health and social care services and support. 

Contact

Jane Randall-Smith, Chief Officer      Tel: 01743 237884

Healthwatch Shropshire, 4 The Creative Quarter, Shrewsbury Business Park, Shrewsbury, Shropshire, SY2 6LG.

Tel: 01743 237884      Email enquiries@healthwatchshropshire.co.uk

Website www.healthwatchshropshire.co.uk.