GSF in the UK

Introduction

Introduction to GSF in the UK

The GSF Centre team has for over twenty years, helped generalist frontline staff care better for all people in their final years of life, enabling them to live well until they die.

Many thousands of doctors, nurses and care-providers have received training, improving the care of many million people over the years.

For more information, see About GSF here or for a description of GSF and recent overview of UK activity, click on the 2019 GSF Overview below.

Over 20 years, GSF in the UK was developed further with :-

spread - from primary care to include GSF programmes in all settings across both health and social care sectors

depth- with training, evaluation and 8 well recognised accreditation and re-accreditation Quality Hallmark Awards, markers of excellence

joined-up care - with wider geographic areas using several GSF programmes together to improve integrated care

GSF also expanded to :-

become the leading EOLC training provider for generalists, affecting the care of millions of people in the UK

influencing national policy, with GSF principles becoming embedded and mainstreamed in national and local strategic planning, by regulators and NICE Quality Guidance

publicly regarded Gold or GSF patients- developed the concept of Gold patients, prioritised for additional support and care

provide outcome measures for assessment of populations - becoming a key vehicle for population-based end of life care measurement of progress across wider communities

GSF Regional Training Centres in the UK, delivering training across the country, mainly through hospices, making GSF more accessible and locally supported

International reach- and influenced care in many other countries, now continuing as the work of GSF international

“GSF makes our job as GPs more rewarding and more satisfying because we can see the difference it makes for our patients and their families. It helps empower the whole team ...and that comes across to their patients.”

GP Dr IL Saltaire Medical Practice, GSF Accredited

“ The challenges faced during the pandemic didn't stop us striving for best possible care ... To achieve GSF accreditation during the pandemic and to be recognised for this is even more rewarding ”

Clacton Hospital Dementia Ward

See more on the recent GSF blog here

'GSF , Covid and Beyond'

Narrated talk for EAPC Primary palliative care Group Oct 2020

One of the greatest achievements of GSF has been that in the UK GSF principles have become embedded in general practice and mainstreamed as part of national policy (QOF) since 2004.

Every GP practice in the UK now has a GSF or supportive care register of patients and a meeting to proactively discuss planning their care. Advance Care Planning is gradually becoming normalised as part of personalised care.

Now these principles of proactive , personalised, coordinated care are embedded in national strategy and policy .

The 1,3,5,7 GSF framework in practice

All GSF Quality Improvement Programmes are based on the same simple framework of 1,3,5,7.

This is about enabling everyone to be involved in providing top quality care for people near the end of life-

generalists and specialists
health and social care providers
doctors nurses and other care providers
family and unpaid carers

All have a role to play improving palliative and end of life care.

GSF has received awards or

been recommended by:

There are different ways of using GSF to enable generalist providers in the UK and in other countries

Either as a whole system response, introducing GSF to all sectors, with appropriate training for the differing settings - as in the GSF Cross Boundary care Sites

Or as training for those in one particular setting eg primary care, hospitals, domiciliary care, care homes or other settings- see the range of GSF training programmes here .

For more information about specific domains, click the buttons below.

Other GSF Training Programmes

The work of GSF in the UK

The work of GSF in the UK continues through the GSF Centre CIC (Community Interest Company - a not-for-profit voluntary sector organisation) and the UK team, led by Julie Armstrong Wilson as Lead Nurse /Chief Operating Officer .

The work in other non-UK countries continues through GSF International- this includes both in low/middle income countries and GSF in Africa (through the Andrew Rodger Trust charity) and high income countries (through Horizon Life Care).

For more information or any queries contact the team at GSF UK or GSF International below.