Dying Matters 2025

This week marks #DyingMattersAwarenessWeek (5–11 May), led by Hospice UK, with this year’s theme: #TheCultureOfDyingMatters.

It’s a powerful reminder of the importance of open, honest conversations about dying, death and grief — and how our diverse cultural backgrounds shape those experiences.

🎥 Watch this moving conversation between volunteers at St Joseph’s Hospice as they share their personal and cultural experiences of death and what connects their experiences:
 👉 Watch the video

💬 Let’s keep the conversation going. Visit the #HospiceUK website to explore more stories, resources and ways to get involved:
 👉 Dying Matters Awareness Week | Hospice UK

Advance Care Plan Day 2025

Today is Advance Care Plan Day 2025, the UK’s second National Day dedicated to Advance Care Planning and Future Care Planning.

This day is intended to shed light on the importance of planning for the future, to ensure care for patients is the best it can be at the end of their life.

In the 2022 report, NACEL recommended that ICBs/Health Boards, working with Provider Executive Boards should “ensure patients have the opportunity for advance care planning conversations, enabling their wishes or preferences for future care and support to be documented and shared”. Findings show that many patients who died in hospital hadn’t participated in advance care planning discussions before their final admission, highlighting the need to continue raising awareness about the importance of advance care plans.

For the latest NACEL findings on ACP, healthcare professionals can visit the NACEL Data and Improvement Tool.

Reminder to submit data to the NACEL 2025 Mental Health Spotlight Audit

If your organisation is currently registered for the NACEL 2025 Mental Health Spotlight Audit, please continue to submit your data for the Case Note Review (CNR) and Staff Reported Measure. 

CNR data can be submitted via the data collection pages.

In the Audit Guidance document, we have outlined which staff members and clinical areas may be suitable to distribute the staff survey to. The NACEL Team have also produced a poster to help promote the survey to staff. The QR code and URL link to the survey can be found on the data collection pages for your submission.

NACEL 2025 Output updates

The NACEL Data and Improvement Tool
The NACEL Data and Improvement Tool (DIT) is now displaying NACEL 2025 data for the Bereavement Survey and Case Note Review.

Improvements to the DIT are ongoing; we will be moving to a new and improved platform with new features and smoother performance - keep a look out for more information coming soon!

If you are a NACEL Site Administrator for the DIT, please continue to check for any pending users and grant access.

Integrated Care Boards (ICBs) now have direct access to the NACEL Data and Improvement Tool (DIT) - read more here.

Good Practice Compendium 
The NACEL 2025 Good Practice Compendium is to be published in May 2025. The compendium will showcase real examples of good practice and quality improvement from participating organisations.

For more information on the NACEL output release dates, please visit the NACEL Portal here.