Document resource
Background Marie Curie Hospice Newcastle piloted the use of Supportive Care UK for second on-call consultant provision in July 2024. Over the first six months, Marie Curie’s Impact and Evaluation team explored impact on quality of care and experience of hospice staff, compared to previous consultant provision.Aims To investigate whether Supportive Care UK remote on-call provision is as good as the previous on-call provision. To present recommendations for the smooth and successful implementation of this or a similar service into hospice Business As Usual.Methods Data and feedback on use of the remote on-call support was gathered via the following activities, and quantitatively and qualitatively analysed:Clinical audit by hospice Medical Director of all Supportive Care UK interactions.Short survey completed by staff after each interaction.Review of out-of-hours hospital transfers during pilot period and corresponding control period.Interviews with three first on-call doctors.Results Quality:Clinical audit raised no concerns.No increase in out-of-hours hospital transfers in the pilot phase.Staff rated positively clarity of communication, quality of clinical advice and timeliness of response.Clinical advice was sometimes not in line with local policy.Experience:Supportive Care UK consultants bring ‘fresh ideas’ and valuable perspectives.Staff highlighted potential risk for clinical liability, continuity of care, and impact on junior staff. These areas should receive particular attention during implementation.Conclusions Supportive Care UK provides valuable new perspectives and a positive staff experience. Supportive Care UK offers robust clinical advice, with no clinical audit concerns raised and no increase in out-of-hours transfers. The model is best used when absence of staff is unavoidable. Qualitative feedback suggested that practical considerations when implementing this service include issues of responsibility, liability and risk. It is recommended that these should be thoroughly discussed with Supportive Care UK, hospice leadership, and staff on the ground.