Thanks to our funding, staff caring for patients at the end of their lives, now feel more confident having sensitive and difficult conversations with them, their family and loved ones.

A series of half day courses covering theory, simulation with actors and reflection was delivered to medical registrars or equivalent Trust grade doctors at London North West University Healthcare (LNWH) NHS Trust.

Dr Charles Daniels, Macmillan consultant in palliative medicine said: “Having honest, sensitive and complex conversations can sometimes be challenging, particularly around resuscitation, treatment, future care or when patients don’t respond to treatment, and there are many reasons for this.”

"It is important that when patients are too unwell, frail or lack the resilience to respond to certain treatments (such as cardiac resuscitation) we are compassionate in the ways we inform patients and/or their families. This course is designed to help our doctors to do this well."

“Feedback following the courses shows that those who attended feel they have more confidence and better skills to have sympathetic conversations, gauge understanding and slowly give information while making it less overwhelming for everyone involved. We are delighted that the evaluation has shown such change in confidence and practice.

“We’re really grateful to LNWH Charity for funding this worthwhile course, and we hope to build a larger group of trainers to deliver this programme at least six times a year within LNWH NHS Trust.”