A pioneering health education project has put Northamptonshire on the map after being recognised at a national award ceremony.

The initiative, supported by Cynthia Spencer Hospice Charity and delivered by the highly skilled and experienced team at the hospice, focuses on building safe, compassionate and timely care in nursing homes through Registered Nurse Verification of Expected Adult Death Education.

This quality improvement initiative enhanced safety, dignity and responsiveness in end-of-life care by delivering a Registered Nurse Verification of Expected Adult Death education project across 28 nursing homes in Northamptonshire.

A total of 186 Registered Nurses (RN) were educated, equipping them with the skills, knowledge and confidence to safely and compassionately verify expected adult deaths in line with the latest evidence base and national guidance.

To date, 83 deaths have been verified by trained RNs, reducing lengthy delays and enabling more timely support for families. The project strengthened governance, standardised practice and continues to ensure safe, compassionate and dignified end of life care, and was recognised in the recent HSJ Patient Safety Awards, where it was shortlisted in the Palliative and End of Life Safety Initiative of the Year category.

The category shines a spotlight on high-quality palliative and end of life care and how delivering safe care in this context involves complex clinical decision making, sensitive communication, personalised planning, and close coordination across multiple services.

Cynthia Spencer Hospice Charity CEO Asma Maya Joseph-Hussain attended the gala ceremony in Telford with marketing executive Ellie Sayers, the hospice education team and the hospice service lead.

Maya said: “These are very competitive awards, so we are absolutely thrilled that the project reached the finals. While we didn’t win, we are certainly putting Northamptonshire on the national map, and this project deserves the recognition it is receiving. This crucial work has strengthened governance, standardised practice and continues to ensure safe, compassionate and dignified end of life care.”

Cynthia Spencer Hospice Charity is celebrating the hospice’s 50^th anniversary this year. Over the past five decades, the charity has evolved significantly, offering compassionate care not only at the inpatient hospice unit but through specialist palliative care within the community giving people with life-limiting conditions choice of how they spend their final days.

For more information about how you can support Cynthia Spencer Hospice Charity visit www.cynthiaspencer.org.uk