COVID-19 advice and support for healthcare professionals in Leeds.

Leeds Palliative Care Network
Leeds Palliative Care Network

COVID-19 Support for Professionals

Information on this page is provided in four sections:

Section 1

Agreed Leeds Symptom Management Guidance. Here you will find all Leeds specific COVID-19 local documents in one place.

Documents 

LPCN Additional Guidance if Standard Community Last Days of Life Symptom Management Guidance Cannot be Followed – provides alternative options if healthcare professionals are unavailable to administer medication, there is a lack of T34 syringe drivers and/or medication supply issues.

LPCN Non-Drug Management for Common Symptoms at the End of Life – includes strategies that can help relieve symptoms and reduce reliance on medications.

Leeds Opioid Conversion Guide For Adult Palliative Care Patients

Advance Care Planning in the Context of COVID-19

Leeds Palliative and End of life Anticipatory Medicines – Briefing Note April 2020
This briefing note provides clarity on which anticipatory medications to prescribe and the quantities advised during the COVID-19 outbreak.

Verification of Expected Adult Death training resources can be found here 

Section 2 - Guidance for patients with COVID-19

Provides guidance and advice about the care and treatment of patients with Covid-19 who require palliative or end of life care.

Section 3 - Advice for all palliative and end of life care patients

Provides additional guidance and advice to support clinical practice and decision making for all palliative and end of life patients during this time. Changes in practice may be required to protect staff, patients and their families or due to reduced availability of resources e.g. staff, medication, equipment.

Section 4 - Useful local and national resources

Please click on the links below to view national guidance and advice:

NICE Critical Care Guidance 
Specific advice for critical care teams in hospitals regarding treatment and care of COVID-19 patients.

Association for Palliative Medicine
General advice about the care of people at the end of life.

British Geriatric Society
Detailed advice about caring for older people including advice and support for care homes.

British Geriatric Society – Care Homes Guidance 
Managing the COVID-19 pandemic in care homes for older people

RCGP COVID resource hub
Advice and guidance from the Royal College of GPs.

Video – Coping with Anxiety During COVID-19 Pandemic
A video to support professionals.

Community Palliative, End of Life and Bereavement Care in the COVID-19 pandemic.
This should be used alongside the local last days of life guidance – see section 2.

Practical Care for the Dying person.
A useful tool to share with family and carers.

RCN – DNACPR and Verification of Death Guidance
Guidance from the Royal College of Nursing.

COVID-19 Rapid Guideline: Managing Symptoms (including at the End of Life) in the Community
NICE guideline [NG163] Published date: 03 April 2020.

Letter from NHSE Medical Director and Chief Nursing Officer
Detailing the need for individualised care plans and treating everyone with compassion and dignity.

Joint statement from British Medical Association (BMA), Care Provider Alliance (CPA), Care Quality Commission (CQC) and Royal College of General Practice (RCGP) 
Detailing the importance of personalised Advance Care Plans.

Coronavirus resources – www.library.nhs.uk/coronavirus-resources/older-people/
The NHS Library and Knowledge Services team at Health Education England has collated information and resources on Covid-19 from trusted sources to share with patients, clients and families including a section tailored to older people.