BMJ 1994;309:1017 (15 October)

Letters

Guidelines have improved care

Guidelines may have improved care

EDITOR, - Mina Mills and colleagues' report on the care of dying patients in hospital fails to mention changes that have taken place in Scotland in the 11 years since their study, particularly in relation to patients dying of cancer. Guidelines on palliative care for patients with cancer have recently been published jointly by the Scottish Partnership Agency for Palliative and Cancer Care and the Clinical Resource and Audit Group of the Scottish Office Home and Health Department.2 They emphasise the importance of several factors that were clearly missing in the four hospitals surveyed by Mills and colleagues - namely, an approach that focuses on the patient, good communication, and teamwork. The guidelines have been commended to health boards and NHS trusts by Scotland's chief medical officer, and a recent programme of one day conferences organised by the Scottish Partnership Agency presented the guidelines to . . . [Full text of this article]


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Relevant Article

Care of dying patients in hospital
M Mills, H T O Davies, and W A Macrae
BMJ 1994 309: 583-586. [Abstract] [Full Text]




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