The Journey Continues
Improving care
for patients
with advanced
stages of
heart failure
People living with heart failure often face complex challenges; not just physically, but emotionally and socially too. At the heart of the Palliative Heart Synthesis project is a simple but powerful aim: to help improve the care and support that people with advanced stages of heart failure receive, by bringing together the strengths of palliative care and heart failure services.
Building On Our Findings
The second stage of this project builds on the work completed in our first study, published in 2023. Led by researchers at Queen’s University Belfast, in partnership with Oxford University, the original project reviewed over 130 international studies to understand how integrated care works, for whom, and under what circumstances.
Findings from Stage 1:
What matters most
for integrating care?
Protected Time
for Education
Clinicians at all levels, from undergraduate students to practicing professionals; need dedicated time for learning about the benefits and practice of integrating palliative care.
Flexible Learning
Opportunities
Offering training in a range of formats and at varied times makes it easier for healthcare staff to participate.
Flexible Learning
Opportunities
Offering training in a range of formats and at varied times makes it easier for healthcare staff to participate.
Clear Communication
of Benefits
Highlighting the value of integrating palliative care helps build understanding and buy-in among professionals.
Credible
Champions
Identifying trusted professionals and community voices to advocate for integrated palliative care can influence how services are delivered.
Credible
Champions
Identifying trusted professionals and community voices to advocate for integrated care can influence how services are delivered.
Accessible
Guidelines
National guidelines on integrated palliative and heart failure care need to be easy to access and embed in everyday clinical practice.
Next Steps:
Putting Knowledge into Practice
While Stage 1 told us what the evidence says, Stage 2 will focus on what’s happening in practice.
We will work with those who have direct experience of integrating palliative and heart failure services in the NHS.
This next phase will:
Test and refine our understanding of what works, for whom, and in what circumstances.
Explore the real-world challenges of setting up and sustaining integrated care.
Help shape practical, actionable ways to embed integrated palliative care and heart failure care models across the UK.
Why it Matters
Heart failure is a complex, life-limiting condition; and the way we deliver care matters. By combining palliative and heart failure services in a thoughtful, evidence-informed way, we can improve the lives of patients, families, and the professionals who care for them.