Thinking & planning ahead.
ACP is a process that helps people make choices about their future care. ACP is also about knowing how to use services better.
Planning ahead can help people to be more in control and more able to manage changes in their health and wellbeing. It also helps people tell others about what matters most to them.
People of all ages who are living with long term conditions, complex care needs or serious health problems benefit from having their own Anticipatory Care Plan.
As a person’s health starts to decline, it is even more important to start planning ahead.
Healthcare Improvement Scotland (HIS)
National Anticipatory Care Planning Programme
NHS Inform also provides patient information and links for ACP.
EC4H resources
Effective Communication for ACP – RED-MAP Resources
The EC4H programme offers workshops on Anticipatory Care Planning.
We use a 6-step approach to these conversations called RED-MAP
Patient and family information leaflet: What happens when someone is dying (2019)
Read more in the EC4H Web Resources
Building on the Best in Scotland
The Building on the Best programme aims to improve ACP and shared decision-making in acute hospitals across Scotland. Many of the resources can be used in other settings too.
SPICT (Supportive & Palliative Care Indicators Tool)
The SPICT™ is used as a guide to help health and care professionals identify people with deteriorating health for assessment and start anticipatory care planning. The SPICT 2019 and (SPICT-4ALL) in non-clinical language are available with resources to support their use from the SPICT website