WORK from a hospice to develop end of life care education at a care homes has been praised by a MP.

Basingstoke MP Maria Miller met Sue Martin, a specialist palliative care nurse based at St Michael’s Hospice, to hear about the Six Steps Programme which gives care home staff training and support to manage end of life care.

With increasing pressure on health services, there is a need for care homes to be skilled in managing end of life care and enabling residents to die in their home rather than being admitted to hospital.

The programme, funded by the North Hampshire Clinical Commissioning Group, is delivered by the hospice with 17 care homes in north Hampshire now accredited .

Mrs Miller said: “The Six Steps Programme which Sue Martin delivers is incredibly important in helping to ensure that elderly care home residents who are approaching the end of life are not admitted to hospital where this is inappropriate, and are able to spend their last days peacefully in their home.”

“From what I have heard the programme has been very successful in reducing admissions to hospital and improving the care of the dying in local care homes. Sue’s work has undoubtedly helped some care home staff to have more open discussions about end of life care, which we know can be a very sensitive issue to broach.”