25 Years of GSF

To mark our 25th anniversary this year, on 22nd June, we hosted an online celebration event, chaired by Professor Martin Green, CEO of Care England, focusing on the impact, reach and influence of GSF over the last 25 years, showcasing examples of excellence from frontline GSF Accredited teams, including Hill House Care Home, our 2022 GSF Care Home of the Year.

With contributions from leading experts, professionals, and thought leaders in the health and care sector, the event included keynote presentations and an interactive panel debate on the future of end of life care.

The event fostered a dialogue around various topics such as the vital importance of social care provision (in particular domiciliary care), rebalancing care between family, community and health system, the bigger picture of population-based end of life care facing Integrated Care Boards in England and the offering of advance care planning as a human right to all.

The GSF 25th Anniversary celebratory event gave the opportunity to reflect on all the work that has been done over the last 25 years to improve end of life care services nationally, building on the initial work created by our founder, Professor Keri Thomas. However, there are still challenges - we have an ever-growing aging population and a taboo around death and dying. Educating the workforce by creating a compassionate system ready to engage in open honest conversations with people and their families is so important. The GSF service improvement programme has supported the development of services in health and social care including retirement villages and domiciliary care to actively engage in advance care planning conversations with their patients, residents, customers and clients creating a culture that embraces the conversation around death and dying by acknowledging what matters to each and every individual. Julie Armstrong-Wilson, Chief Operational Officer, GSF

In the last 25 years the GSF Centre has trained over 5,000 teams, about half a million staff and accredited over 2,000 organisations or teams, affirming its position as the UK’s leading and most experienced training provider in end of life care for generalist frontline staff across all settings.

?Delivering good end of life care is a vital part of the health and care system. The Gold Standards Framework has delivered the very best end of life care for over 25 Years and is truly integrated across the entire system. GSF is used in hospitals, primary care, Care, Homes, and Homecare services?and is widely respected by citizens, families and professionals. Martin Green, CEO, Care England

If you'd like to read more about GSF, please visit our website for more information: www.goldstandardsframework.org.uk.