A NEW scheme is hoping to improve the way patients spend their last days of life in Bury.

The Swan end of life care model was launched last week by The Pennine Acute Hospitals NHS Trust.

Swan offers dedicated support to patients in the last days of life and to their families into bereavement and beyond.

The national scheme, which can be found in 47 NHS Trusts in the country, allows relatives to have open visiting around the clock, alerts staff to provide extra care and advice.

A commitment has also been made to open a bereavement centre this year at Fairfield General Hospital, North Manchester General Hospital and The Royal Oldham Hospital, while the family room at Rochdale Infirmary will also be refurbished.

The scheme was set up by the trust’s new assistant director of nursing, Fiona Murphy MBE, and is expected to help hundreds of patients at Fairfield.

A special opening event was held at the hospital to celebrate, which was attended by Fiona Murphy, trust medical director prof Matt Makin and trust deputy chief nurse Gill Byrne.

Ms Murphy said: "I really believe end of life care is everyone’s business and it is about getting it right for every patient every time, irrespective of their place of death.

"It is really important to look after our families as well as our patients at this really difficult time. This is what our new Swan scheme is all about.

"End of life care is a difficult period for patients and relatives and there are many choices available to them, for example the decision to sign the organ donor register and whether they would prefer to die at home.

"The Swan scheme will give them the help they need to understand those choices."

The scheme uses a swan symbol to represent end of life and bereavement care and where the sign is displayed relatives can have 24 hour visiting rights.

The symbol also acts as a reminder to staff to be extra caring and to pay extra attention to relatives and friends whose loved ones are in the last stages of life and in their greatest time of need.

Relatives also have 'memory bags' for deceased patients’ property, replacing the traditional plastic bag, and family are encouraged to take locks of hair, hand prints and spend close family time together before bereavement.

Based on data on deaths at Fairfield General Hospital from April to December 2016, more than 430 patients could benefit from the scheme.

Alice Davies, Macmillan associate lead cancer and palliative care nurse at the trust, added: "The quality and high standards in which we all deliver end of life care to our patients and families within all care settings is so important.

"The memories of this care stay with those that are left behind and we only have one chance to get this right for our patients. The Swan scheme is a model of best practice and will further facilitate excellence within the provision of end of life care."