Burdett supported study to evaluate end-of-life care before and after Covid-19

Professor Alison Leary and colleagues from London South Bank University in collaboration with the Northern Care Alliance and University of Manchester and supported by Burdett, will assess the effectiveness of the “Swan” model of end-of-life and bereavement care and the related “Cygnet” role created in response to Covid-19.

The Swan model originated in Greater Manchester hospitals and is considered by some to represent the gold standard of end-of-life care. Under the initiative, a swan sign is used to make staff aware that a patient is nearing death and that extra attention should be paid to the patient’s needs and the needs of their loved ones. In the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, Northern Care Alliance introduced “Cygnets” to help deliver aspects of the Swan model in care homes and ensure people were not dying alone.

The Burdett Trust are proud to support this important study, which has been featured in The Nursing Times. The research project will begin on 21 September this year and will run until October 2021.