#45 Fast Track CHC: Accessing Care to support Advance Care Planning with Jo Armstrong

In this episode it is my pleasure and honour to talk with Jo Armstrong. Jo is a physiotherapist with an interest in rehabilitation and spinal injury. Jo cared for her husband Barry following the  sudden diagnosis of a rapidly deteriorating brain tumour supporting him in his wish to die at home. 

We talk about the care needed to look after Barry, specifically Fast Track Continuing Health Care. Issues around assessment, responsiveness and flexibility are covered with the acknowledgement that without the correct care in place advance planning wishes cannot be met.

Key messages from guest

Barry received a sudden and unexpected diagnosis of two aggressive glioblastomas (brain tumours)

• At the point of diagnosis, it was recognised as a life limiting condition with no options for cure.

• The importance of working and the TUC Dying to Work Campaign enabled Barry to have the occupation forwork which was so important to him. 

• Jo describes being “cut loose” from active treatment and the impact this had on the family.

• Jo explains how important early intervention palliative care was to them all.

• The importance of running oncology and palliative care services in parallel is highlighted by Jo

• Accessing the correct support enabled Barry to maintain his quality of life.

• Barry was provided with Fast Track support, but his needs were not assessed; the care provided was not fit for purpose.

Resources

• Find out more about Fast Track CHC Guidance:  NHS continuing healthcare fast-track pathway tool  

• Marie Curie: Help dying people get home explains Fast Track CHC in more detail and why it is so important

• Marie Curie: Making every moment count a publication identifying variance and challenges with Fast Track CHC

• Marie Curie No Time to wait. The state of Fast Track Continuing Healthcare in England discusses the most recent findings and highlights the postcode lottery.

• Find out more about the TUC: Dying to Work Campaign that helped Barry to continue to work

Associated podcasts

• Episode 40: Working when living with a terminal illness with Joanne Smithson and Sam Royston

• Episode 1: How to ensure your plans are heard with Clair Fisher

• Episode 6:How to start your Digital Legacy with James Norris

Bio:

Barry Armstrong

Barry was from Northern Ireland, he had worked in humanitarian aid from the 1990s and was usually drawn to conflict affected countries working in Afghanistan, Tajiskistan, Sri Lanka and on the Syrian crisis based in the middle east. He also worked in the Philippines, Mongolia and Zimbabwe. He thought hard and fought hard to improve the lives of those affected by war or natural disaster. He also had a love for being outdoors, for mountains, the sea and camping. We were an adventurous family, our boys were born in Sri Lanka, and went to school in Jordan, weekends and holidays were often spent hiking, canyoning or canoeing across remote Scottish lochs.

Jo Armstrong

I am a physiotherapist with a background in rehabilitation and spinal cord injury, I currently work at the national spinal injuries centre in stoke Mandeville and work to promote higher standards of care internationally most recently in Ukraine.

Find out more about my Bespoke Consultancy

• Service analysis for teams seeking to improve EoLC or prepare for CQC

• End of Life Care Education

• Lasting Power of Attorney Consultancy

• Talks and presentations

If you’d like to find out more about my work contact me.

What one thing will you do?

It would be great to share what resonated with you from this episode, what is the one thing you will do differently? Head to Twitter, Facebook or LinkedIn to continue these important conversations.

Thanks to all my guests for working with me to share their knowledge, experience and stories about Advance Care Planning. I hope you enjoyed listening and have insights to take away; I love hearing your reflections on the series and look forward to reviews on Spotify where you can also subscribe to the series.

Clare

Important Conversations about Important Conversations.