Event details
In 2014 Seth Goodburn died from pancreatic cancer 33 short and heart-breaking days after his diagnosis. Seth wanted to die at home but sadly he died in an acute hospital because the system, processes and procedures constrained the ability of healthcare staff to deliver person and family centred care.
For the last 10 years Lesley Goodburn has worked to share Seth's Story to raise awareness of the signs and symptoms of pancreatic cancer, highlight the need for good psychosocial care and to improve end of life care. In the 10th anniversary year of Seth's death Lesley and colleagues provide an update on each of those areas and to launch a new educational resource which are letters that Lesley wrote to the staff involved in Seth's care six months after Seth died.
These letters will give you the opportunity to reflect on your role in a patient and families journey through palliative and end of life care and you will be invited to reflect and write a letter back to Lesley and Seth
Learning outcomes for participants:
- Understanding Pancreatic Cancer: Gain a comprehensive understanding of pancreatic cancer, its signs and symptoms, and the patient’s journey from diagnosis to end of life. This includes learning from Seth’s story and the experiences of other patients like Claire and Bradley.
- Delivering Person and Family-Centred Care: Understand the importance of delivering person and family-centred care, as highlighted by Seth’s experience. Learn about the healthcare systems, processes, and procedures that can either support or constrain the delivery of such care.
- Psychosocial Support for Patients and Carers: Learn about the need for good psychosocial care for pancreatic cancer patients and their carers. This includes understanding findings from the carer’s perspective at the end of life and the available support for patients and carers.
- End-of-Life Care: Gain insights into the best practices for end-of-life care, including effective communication about cancer and care in the last hours of life. Learn from the work on cancer conversations and understand how to support patients in their final days.
- Grief and Bereavement: Understand the process of grief and bereavement, including the impact of the Covid pandemic on bereavement. Learn about the UK bereavement commission and how to support individuals through their grief.
These outcomes provide a holistic view of the patient’s journey, emphasising the importance of person-centred care, psychosocial support, and effective communication at the end of life. A reflective letter-writing exercise will further deepen the understanding and empathy of healthcare professionals towards their patients and their families.