Practices are being encouraged to sign up for a new set of standards for providing support for care homes.

The standards were being developed before the pandemic – but are now more applicable than other, according to developers, the Royal College of GPs and Marie Curie. The “Daffodil” standards were first launched last year but have now been enhanced to improve the quality of palliative and end of life care. About 16% of practices in the UK have signed up for the project so far. The work reflects the growing role of care homes in providing end of life care.

Practices can aim for one of two levels of standard. The first requires them to show consistency of care and to include those working in care homes within multidisciplinary teams. The second, enhanced, level will help practices improve communication and learn how to share planning and offer compassionate care to elderly patients, according to developers.

Dr Catherine Millington-Sanders, the project’s national clinical champion for end of life care, said: “All patients who require palliative and end of life care are vulnerable, but those who live in care homes are some of our most vulnerable. The Standards have been developed by a diverse group of organisations, all committed to delivering the best possible care to older patients who live in care homes. Our aim is to minimise variation in the end of life care they receive – and to support GPs and their multidisciplinary teams who are delivering their care, in partnership with care home staff.

“General practice plays a crucial role in delivering high quality end of life care to their patients in care homes. Prior to the pandemic, we planned to develop the Daffodil Standards to enable a focus on older patients in care homes and the pandemic has brought the importance of this work into sharp focus. As GPs and their teams press on in managing COVID-19 and delivering vital general practice services under difficult circumstances, this framework aims to support GP practices by confirming robust leadership and systems to support the individual older patient’s health – this should reassure both care home residents and their families alike.”

Simon Jones, from Marie Curie, said: “Care homes should not be places where people go to die but rather to squeeze every scrap of life out the time they have left. The role of the GP and their practice staff is central to care and support in care homes. These new standards build on the existing Daffodil Standards in a way that will help GPs and practice staff in a crucial part of their work.”