Pilot project of an intermediate palliative care unit within a registered care home

In the UK, increasing pressure on the acute sector has meant that intermediate care has become a pertinent issue within the healthcare community. This article reports on a 6-month pilot project to develop a 2-bedded intermediate unit within a registered care home. A total of 27 patients were admitted to the unit for respite and terminal care. The project was monitored through outcome data sheets and discussions with staff. Satisfaction questionnaires were also distributed to GPs and families. It was found that the unit appeared to offer a workable alternative to inpatient care for those patients cared for in the study. More rigorous evaluation is needed to better determine the views of patients and families and to discover whether the service is able to reduce admissions to the acute sector and avoid delayed transfers of care.