Strathcarron Hospice and Meeks Road Surgery in Falkirk is piloting a non-medical prescribing partnership project with the Hospice’s Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS) team. The aim is to explore and inform how the introduction of non-medical prescribing can make a difference to patients and their families, and the wider Multi-Disciplinary Teams within this particular community setting.

Strathcarron Hospice and Meeks Road Surgery in Falkirk is piloting a non-medical prescribing partnership project with the Hospice’s Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS) team. The aim is to explore and inform how the introduction of non-medical prescribing can make a difference to patients and their families, and the wider Multi-Disciplinary Teams within this particular community setting.

People living with palliative care needs in the community can have less access to GP appointments and home visits, and do not always require the support of district nursing teams. This can cause delays in obtaining relevant prescriptions and starting medication, resulting in increased symptom burden which negatively impacts their quality of life over this period.

Every GP surgery across Forth Valley, Cumbernauld and Kilysth communities is assigned a Strathcarron Hospice Clinical Nurse Specialist, supporting around 350-400 people every week. The teams provide holistic assessment, expert symptom control advice, anticipatory care planning and emotional, psycho-social support. Their specialist palliative care advice around medication, supports GPs and other health care professionals for patients and families living with a life limiting condition.

Lyndsay Cardwell, Community Lead Nurse, Strathcarron Hospice said, “We’re delighted to be working with Meeks Road Surgery on this pilot to explore how having a Strathcarron Clinical Nurse Specialist as a Non-Medical Prescriber makes to the patients and their families in their practice.

Strathcarron Hospice have a Non-Medical Prescribing policy in place as part of this pilot, but there is of course a cost attached to the Hospice to train up our staff. As yet, we do not have a formal agreement with NHS funding, but we hope that other local GP surgeries can enable their Strathcarron Clinical Nurse Specialist to be a prescriber, as it would be a benefit to them, speeding up the vital prescription process for patients”.

Strathcarron Hospice’s Clinical Nurse Specialists, visit patients and families in their own homes five days a week and are often a direct link for patients to the wider Strathcarron Hospice teams, for example, the Consultants, Patient and Family Support, Rehab and the Live Your Life teams, as well as the In Patient Unit. The team is well established within the wider primary care sector and work closely with district nursing services, GP’s and other allied health professional and speciality teams.

Dr Alastair McCall, Meeks Road Surgery, “The relationship and trust we have with Strathcarron’s Clinical Nurse Specialist is excellent; the strength is in regular communication, all for the benefit of patients and their families. Now that Helen, Strathcarron Hospice’s Clinical Nurse Specialist can now prescribe medications, it is improving the delivery of care as medications can be picked up on the same day as their visit, rather than patients and/or family members waiting to see their GP”.

With only 50% cost of Strathcarron’s Clinical Nurse Specialist teams funded by NHS, the local Hospice need to raise over £400,000 every year to pay for these special palliative care services across our local communities.

If a GP practice across our local communities of Forth Valley, Cumbernauld and Kilysth would like to express interest or learn more about the non-medical prescribing pilot please get in touch with Lyndsay Cardwell, our Community Lead Nurse on 01324 826222.

(Accompanying photo: People L to R – Helen Donoghue, Strathcarron Hospice Clinical Nurse Specialist and from Meeks Road Surgery, Community Pharmacist William Hayden, Practice Manager Chantelle Cullen, District Nurse Rachel McGregor, Community Staff Nurse Shelagh Nelson, GP Dr Alastair McCall.

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