Evaluation of a scheme to enhance palliative cancer care in rural Wales

Abstract

Since the early 1990s, the United Kingdom has seen several initiatives designed to improve the quality of cancer palliative care in the community. We report on the evaluation of a project that took place in the rural county of Powys in Wales in which a group of general practitioner clinical facilitators (GPCFs) sought to raise the overall standard of palliative care among primary health care teams (PHCTs). The evaluation was conducted over 3 years and made use of several methods: interviews with facilitators and other key stakeholders at regular intervals throughout the project; a survey of PHCT members at two time points; an analysis of patterns of opioid prescribing in the county before and during the project; monitoring of referrals to specialist palliative care services out of county; and an analysis of place of death of those dying from cancer. The evaluation found that local general practitioners (GPs) were willing to work as facilitators and that they made contact with over two thirds of those in the PHCTs. Facilitators undertook a variety of clinical, educational and service development initiatives but did report on problems of role definition and time management. There were no marked changes in patterns of referral to specialist palliative care or in place of death, but there was some evidence to suggest that the facilitators had an influence on their colleagues' opioid prescribing patterns.