Collaborating for compassionate end-of-life care: UKST and Marie Curie on treating cancer and sepsis in palliative settings

In episode nine of 'Sepsis Voices with Dr Ron', UKST’s Founder & Joint CEO Dr Ron Daniels sits down with Dr Siwan Seaman, a Consultant at the in-patient unit at the Marie Curie hospice in Cardiff and the Vale, and recently appointed Medical Director at the hospice.

Marie Curie is the UK’s leading end of life charity. While they deal with patients with a range of life-limiting conditions, this episode focuses on cancer and sepsis, given that it was World Cancer Day on 4^th February and King Charles III has recently been diagnosed with cancer.

The pair discuss:

• The intricate link between cancer and sepsis, unveiling pertinent risk factors
• The evolving landscape of coding on death certificates and its impact on understanding the correlation between these conditions
• Collaborative efforts between UKST and Marie Curie in developing a palliative care tool tailored for clinicians attending to hospice patients exhibiting sepsis red flags
• The paradigm shift ushered in by more acute interventions for individuals with life-limiting illnesses.
• The nuanced challenges in identifying and managing sepsis within the realm of palliative care, navigating the delicate balance between intervention intensity and prioritising patient comfort and quality of life
• The crucial involvement of patients and their families in decision-making regarding sepsis management, intricately woven within the framework of end-of-life care
• The promising potential of technology in augmenting sepsis recognition and management

The palliative care tool discussed in this episode is available for use across all hospice settings, not limited to Marie Curie's nine hospices, access it here: https://sepsistrust.org/professional-resources/our-clinical-tools/marie-curie-the-uk-sepsis-trust/

If you’ve been affected by sepsis, get support from UKST’s specialist support nurses: https://sepsistrust.org/get-support/

Learn more about Marie Curie: https://www.mariecurie.org.uk/