Publication into palliative care for people with mental ill-health

Congratulations to Dr Dr Jed Jerwood (PhD) on the publication of a book chapter and online training module based on his research into improving palliative end of life care for people living with mental illness.

The fourth edition of the Handbook of Palliative Care?has recently been published, offering up-to-date evidence and guidelines to support non-specialists in palliative care in both hospital and community settings.

People who are approaching the end of their life are entitled to high-quality care, wherever they are being cared for.

With this in mind,?Dr Jed Jerwood, Principal Art Psychotherapist at BSMHFT and Clinical Associate Professor at 英国伯明翰大学 , published a chapter titled ‘Palliative care for people with mental ill health’, offering healthcare professionals strategies to build confidence and improve care.

During his research into palliative and end of life care, it was noted that many healthcare professionals across the country felt ill-equipped in successfully meeting a patient’s mental health needs.

Funded by NIHR (National Institute for Health and Care Research) and supported by BSMHFT’s Research and Development department, Dr Jerwood’s research will help to improve the care of many vulnerable people in the final stages of their life.? Dr Jerwood said:

“People with experience of the mental health system can encounter many health inequalities – including access to palliative and end of life care. It is still common for people to be discharged from mental health services if they become terminally ill. This research was the first in the UK to be carried out in coproduction with people with lived experience of mental ill health and life-limiting conditions.”

“It is great to see the findings of the research published in the latest edition of the Handbook of Palliative Care and even more importantly, to have the research captured in a module accessible to healthcare professionals through NHS England’s e-learning for healthcare, which is where it can really improve care.”

The fourth edition of the Handbook of Palliative Care can now be purchased online via a variety of reputable sellers. NHS England has also incorporated this as a module for?e-learning, which can be accessed nationally for free for all NHS staff.