What is it about?
As the role of the UK paramedic expands and the NHS is increasingly stretched, it has become commonplace for paramedics to attend patients nearing the end of life. Despite this, many paramedics lack confidence when attending end-of-life patients owing to the complex clinical and emotional nature involved. This study aimed to understand the determinants that affect UK paramedic confidence when attending end-of-life patients and how they can be addressed.
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Why is it important?
Caring for patients nearing the end of life (EoL) has become one component of the ever-widening role of a paramedic as the profession has been gradually expanding from trauma and emergency medicine since its conception in 1971. Therefore, it is commonplace for paramedics to be called to patients at the EoL to provide emergency care, treatment for pain relief or symptom management or because of family or carer concerns. draining and challenging. This literature review aims to identify factors that affect paramedic confidence when attending EOL patients and discuss how these can be addressed.
Perspectives
Patients who are at the EOL deserve to have the highest quality of care possible, have their symptoms well managed, be comfortable and have their say over how and where they die. Thus, ambulance services in general need to take steps to ensure paramedics are confident and well prepared in their management and treatment of EOL patients, enabling these practitioners to deliver the most appropriate patient-centred care.
Erin Watsin
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Factors affecting the confidence of paramedics managing end-of-life care, Journal of Paramedic Practice, January 2026, Mark Allen Group,
DOI: 10.12968/jpar.2025.0008.
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