Care of Dying Adults in the Last Days of Life

Excerpt

This guideline applies to dying people aged 18 or older. It is acknowledged that a parallel guideline is being developed by NICE to cover the end of life care for infants, children and young people.

This guideline covers recognising dying, communication and shared decision-making and only the clinical aspects of symptom management. We have not made recommendations about how services should be configured to deliver these aspects of care. An update of the 2004 guidance on Supportive and Palliative Care for Adults with Cancer will be started in 2016, and this will not only cover the service delivery aspects of the current guideline, but will also extend beyond the cancer focus.