1. Learning Disabilities and Palliative Care : Building Bridges - Supporting Care
Good afternoon and thank you for giving me this opportunity to come and speak to you about this project.
My name is Liz Smith and I currently work in Practice Development at the Prince and Princess of Wales Hospice. On the 1st of May( which is not long away), I will begin a new and exciting project which I am going to tell you about today.

2. This is a photograph of the suspension bridge in Glasgow and the building behind is the Prince and Princess of Wales Hospice where the project will be based.
This bridge was the inspiration for the idea that the project is about building bridges between palliative care and learning disabilities- 2 specialities bringing their knowledge and skills and coming together to provide better care for people with learning disabilities.

3. Is there a need?
The number of people with LD over 60 years of age is set to rise by 36% between and so too their need for palliative care( Office of National Statistics,2005)
People with LD may have elderly family/carers who have palliative care needs (1/3 of people with LD live with carers over 70)
There is widespread agreement that people with LD have poorer health than the general population and face barriers when accessing palliative care
Staff in learning disability services are often not experienced in caring for dying people
Palliative care services are not necessarily experienced in caring for individuals with learning disabilities

4. Widening Access through nurse leadership major grant
Last year, Libby Milton, Clinical Advisor for the Prince and Princess of Wales carried out a small scoping exercise looking at ways of supporting LD and PC staff in NHS GG&C. This exercise was funded through a Help the Hospices seedcorn grant.

5. Burdett Seedcorn Grant
In 2011 a series of workshops were held across NHS GG&C with 22 staff ( 14 from LD and 8 from PC).
The aim of these workshops was to identify what support would help both these groups of staff in their delivery of palliative care to people with LD.
The results provided clear evidence that there is a need for a practice development initiative
to support and consolidate good practice within both LD and PC teams.

6. The Project
Initially the Project was South Glasgow based but with additional funding from the Scottish Government the project will now cover the whole of NHS GG&C where there are 6 hospices and 8 LD teams, for a period of 16 months.
The project will link in with the NHS GG&C Learning Disability Strategy
Outputs from the project will be shared nationally.

7. The Purpose
To bring two specialities together using a practice development approach to support staff in the provision of the best quality care for people with Learning Disabilities who have Palliative Care needs.

8. The Project Aims
People with LD are at the heart of this project, with the ultimate aim being to improve their care.

9. Aim One
To develop partnership working, building relationships at both strategic and clinical levels between local palliative care and learning disability teams.

10. Aim Two
To introduce a care pathway to deliver appropriate and high quality palliative care for people with LD, including guidance for referral to specialist palliative care.

11. Aim Three
To ensure all staff have easy access to locally adapted resources, including assessment and support tools, and ensure staff are equipped with the knowledge and skills to use these resources.

12. Aim Four
To link with the clinical workforce teams building upon their knowledge, skills and confidence to ensure they provide high quality palliative care to meet the needs of people with LD.

13. Aim Five
To ensure Hospice services are accessible and appropriate for people with LD.

14. The Future The key to this project is partnership working,
Learning Disabilities and Palliative Care Working Together
LIZ SMITH