Derbyshire hospice creates mobile classroom to ensure vital end of life training for care homes continues

A total of 50 nursing homes across Derbyshire have now received specialised training on how to mix end-of-life medication at a patient’s bedside thanks to Treetops Hospice’s mobile classroom.

Prior to this, nursing staff did not have the skills to mix their own medications to be used in a syringe driver pump. Pre-filled syringes were made up by the hospital pharmacy, sometimes leading to delays in care.

The vital training is being led by clinical facilitators Katie Gibbins and Faye Thrasivoulou on behalf of the Derby and Derbyshire Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG).

Katie and Faye are being hosted by Treetops, in Risley, which provides nursing care and emotional support for adults with life limiting conditions and their families.

Katie explained the huge positive impact of the training.

She said: “We are training care home staff to use syringe drivers to deliver the same pain relief and medication direct to patients at the end of life, ensuring their symptoms are brought under control earlier and so they can spend crucial time with their family members.

“It also means residents at the end of life don’t have to be sent to hospital but can die in their own home if that’s their choice, with familiar people and things around them.

“And homes can become a completely secure unit as nothing is being bought in externally from the hospital.

“The training is crucial and an essential, key element to care homes being able to offer a gold standard end of life care and achieving their CQC rating.

"All other training has been cancelled due to Covid apart from this, because this is so critical.”

The training took place in a gazebo during the summer months but as the weather turned cold it proved impossible to continue. That is when Treetops decided to adapt the minibus.

Kate added: “We can now train two staff at a time in the minibus very safely.

"We’re so lucky with what Treetops have provided. Without the hospice, this training simply wouldn’t have happened.”