15 Development and evaluation of the midlands collaborative palliative and end-of-life care education toolkit

<h3>Background</h3> Education and training of the palliative and end-of-life care (PEoLC) workforce has a major impact on the outcomes for patients and those who care for them. Integrated Care Boards (ICBs) have a duty to provide PEoLC but many require support and development to improve access quality and sustainability of service delivery. ICBs need to develop a confident, knowledgeable, and skilled workforce through high-quality education, training, professional development, and well-being support to strengthen ongoing recruitment and retention. <h3>Aim</h3> Collaborative Midlands PEoLC Toolkit project has brought together three ICBs—Birmingham and Solihull, Derbyshire, and Nottinghamshire—each committed to improving PEoLC education for their workforce and providing public training resources to support people in their communities. The research project aimed to review the programme of work and evaluate the impact of the education and training framework for each system. <h3>Methods</h3> A multi-phase, mixed-methods evaluation approach was adopted, comprising four work phases: (1) Stakeholder focus groups with each organisation; (2) Google Analytics to assess user engagement and interest; (3) An online survey with staff; and (4) Joint interviews with representatives from three ICBs. <h3>Findings</h3> Stakeholder interviews identified that the toolkit must balance localisation and personalisation with simplicity and accessibility. Sustainability, collaboration, and governance are critical for long-term success. Analysis of Google Analytics data demonstrated that the toolkit had global relevance and international engagement, with 13,735 users from 102 countries. Symptom management was the most accessed content. Survey analysis showed 85% of participants were familiar with the toolkit, and 60% of them found it useful, leveraging it for education, training, medication guidance, and support. Collaboration across ICBs faced challenges but ultimately fostered effective content sharing and engagement. <h3>Conclusion</h3> The research emphasise the importance of adaptive design, collaboration, and strategic engagement in advancing PEoLC education to achieve a global impact on care quality.