An innovative new service aimed at improving care at home for people approaching the end of their life in Wandsworth has been shortlisted for this year’s prestigious Nursing Times Awards. The Wandsworth End of Life Care Coordination Centre has been shortlisted in the HRH The Prince of Wales Award for Integrated Approaches to Care category.

The Wandsworth Care Coordination Centre, based at Royal Trinity Hospice and run in partnership with Marie Curie and St George’s University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, has supported over 400 patients and their families in its first year.

Commissioned and funded by Wandsworth CCG, the Centre has resulted in an improvement in the quality of care provided to people approaching the end of their life through faster discharges from hospital, patients and families feeling more reassured, and patients feeling more supported to remain at home.

Two thirds of professionals also felt it freed up clinical time and made organising care easier for them.

Martin Powell, Director of Patient Services at Royal Trinity Hospice, said, “We are delighted to be nominated for this award. It’s a true testament to the hard work of everyone involved.

This pilot has shown that problem solving and persistence overcomes many of the barriers which prevent people from being cared for in the place of their choice.

Partnership work isn’t always easy but this service is proof that multi-agency collaboration enhances both the quality of care for people approaching the end of life and support for their families.”

The Wandsworth End of Life Care Coordination Centre was designed to address confusion among patients and their families about who to contact for help and support for someone approaching the end of their life.

The nurse-led coordination team based at Trinity arranges rapid packages of care and equipment to enable patients to be cared for at home and acts as a helpline for patients, families and professionals.

There is also a dedicated St George’s End of Life Community Nurse who provides extra support and advice in the community and a team of Marie Curie Health and Personal Care Assistants who can offer specialised hands-on care at home for people with any terminal illness.