{
  "abstract": "Background An ageing prison population has tripled in the past two decades, with deaths in prison due to natural causes increasing. This, together with an increasing prison population experiencing ill health and bereavement, has led to a corresponding rise in the need for end-of-life care support. Hospice UK (Dying behind bars: how can we better support people in prison at the end of life?; 2021) reports that end-of-life care requires improvement across the prison population to reduce current care inequalities. Hospices are well placed to support the reduction in these inequalities through education, support and collaboration.Aim Building on current availability of hospice services to prisons, this project aimed to improve awareness of palliative end of life care amongst prison staff; and support understanding and awareness of grief and bereavement for staff and those imprisoned.Methods The project was a collaboration between three teams – hospice psychological services, hospice education, and the prison chaplaincy service. An exploratory questionnaire was distributed to prison staff (n=14). This identified no prior palliative end of life care training, little understanding of symptoms and communication, or grief and coping strategies. These themes aided development of the training materials, delivered across two separate sessions.Results Nineteen members of the prison team attended session one. This presented end-of-life care and communication topics. Session two, on grief and bereavement, was attended by twenty imprisoned people and four chaplains. Post-session evaluations identified the value of open discussion of sensitive care situations, whilst providing details of common end of life care needs, availability of external services and enhanced grief awareness and support.The funding was provided by a grant from the Linder Foundation managed by Hospice UK.",
  "authors": [
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "St Raphael’s Hospice, South West London, UK"
      ],
      "name": "Karen Cook"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "St Raphael’s Hospice, South West London, UK"
      ],
      "name": "Maura Flint"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "St Raphael’s Hospice, South West London, UK"
      ],
      "name": "Diana Bromboszcz"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "HMP High Down, Sutton, UK"
      ],
      "name": "Mamadou Bocoum"
    }
  ],
  "title": "P-158 Palliative end of life care: supporting the prison community",
  "uid": "cb0120c4-1826-5e28-87d5-b05f9e700dde"
}