Development of an Atlas of Specialist Palliative Care for Scotland

Background: Studies of the international development of palliative care have made possible the production of regional palliative care ‘atlases’ for Europe and Latin America, with others in the planning. The global atlas of palliative care played an important role in underpinning the World Health Assembly Resolution of 2014. But to date, no attempt has been made to produce an atlas of specialist palliative care delivery and development in a single jurisdiction. Aim: To create an atlas of specialist palliative care for Scotland Methods: Adapting the data collection template of the European Atlas of Palliative Care and using a set of definitions derived from EAPC white papers, we generated a series of questions about the provision of specialist palliative care in Scotland. In 2015 a survey was conducted (by telephone and online) in all 14 Scottish Health Boards as well as among 15 independent hospices. A detailed review was conducted of policy milestones and related developments, identifying key documents and their location. Results: A 50-page atlas was produced including maps and figures that describe levels of specialist palliative care provided through different types of services, categorised by each Health Board area along with an organised list of key documents and milestones that capture the development of Scottish palliative care in the areas of policy, education and socio-cultural attitudes. Conclusions: The Atlas has been welcomed by the palliative care community in Scotland and serves as a useful guide to interested stakeholders, including politicians and policy makers. Launched at a specialist palliative care conference in September 2016, it is available online and in print. It serves as a benchmark by which progress on some of the ‘commitments’ in the Scottish Government Strategic Framework for Action on Palliative and End of Life Care (2016-21) can be measured. It is an approach that others could adopt at the country level.