{
  "abstract": "Background The unique needs of someone with a learning disability at the end-of-life are well understood (LeDeR Annual Report Learning from Lives and Deaths: people with a learning disability and autistic people. LeDeR Autism and learning disability partnership, King’s College London; 2022; Care Quality Commission. A different ending: addressing inequalities in end of life care. CQC: 2016). Challenges may include communication difficulties, diagnostic overshadowing, co-morbidities, and problems in expressing wishes. Services have improved but the late recognition of palliative care needs still occurs.Aim To support high quality personalised palliative and end of life care for people with a learning disability in a region of Lancashire, to reduce health inequalities, through developing a champions scheme (Skills for Health. Champions for Learning Disabilities: Enable Care and Home Support – End of Life Project. 2011).Methods Staff identified across hospice (clinical/non-clinical) and learning disability services, invited to become champions; learning disability champions in the hospice and palliative and end of life care champions in learning disability services. Roles and responsibilities aligned with the Ambitions for Palliative and End of Life Care Framework (National Palliative and End of Life Care Partnership. 2021). Full day induction included lived experience, introduction to learning disabilities and palliative and end of life care and simulation covering compassionate conversation and pain assessment. Monthly shared learning was developed, with difficult conversations, prognosticating, adapting communication/language and history of learning disabilities and a rights-based approach, delivered to date.Results Induction day evaluation demonstrated increased confidence supporting someone with a learning disability including at the end of life and meeting individualised needs. Confidence adapting communication style increased from 7.4/10 to 8.1/10, whilst meeting the communication needs of someone with a learning disability increased from 6.3/10 to 7.6/10. The opportunity to network, develop shared learning and improve clinical care was valued. Evaluation is planned for the monthly sessions and exploring case studies, where the impact of the scheme is truly realised.Conclusion Our champions scheme provides a forum for collaboration and shared learning, developing skills, with increased confidence caring for those with a learning disability at the end of life or supporting those with learning disabilities in our employment. Ongoing evaluation is required to realise the impact. We plan to evaluate the scheme more formally and consider expanding across our region.",
  "authors": [
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "St Catherine’s Hospice, Preston, UK"
      ],
      "name": "Andrew Fletcher"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Lancashire and South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust, North West, UK"
      ],
      "name": "Kieran Uttley"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust, East Lancashire, UK"
      ],
      "name": "Jordan Hennessey"
    }
  ],
  "title": "P-169 Improving palliative and end of life care for those with learning disabilities: collaborative champions scheme",
  "uid": "0264043f-8736-58d6-a6ae-6059fb80fcf9"
}