Integrating end-of-life care into intensive care practice: Outcomes following Gold Standards Framework accreditation

In 2023, the Intensive Care Unit at the Dudley Group NHS Foundation Trust became the first in the UK to achieve Gold Standards Framework (GSF) accreditation. This study evaluates the impact of GSF implementation on end-of-life care delivery and associated metrics. Coding of end-of-life care increased from 10.7% to 16.1% and the proportion of deaths recognised as GSF Amber/Red rose from 14.5% to 58.1% with an increased number of referrals to Specialist Palliative Care. GSF accreditation was associated with sustained improvements in key end-of-life care metrics in intensive care, enhancing collaboration with Specialist Palliative Care and supporting more individualised, patient-centred care.