A New Approach to End-of-Life Care: Our Journey to Better Support Our Community

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON WAPHA ON 30 OCTOBER 2025 (Link)

At Burslem Medical Centre, we believe every patient deserves to have their wishes respected, especially during life’s most challenging moments. Over the past year, our practice has embarked on a transformative journey that’s changing how we support our patients and their families through end-of-life care.

A Vision for Better Care

“We saw an opportunity to do more for our patients,” says Dr. Kanwal Singh, who led the initiative to embed Advance Care Planning (ACP) into our everyday practice. “Too often, families face difficult decisions during crisis moments without knowing what their loved ones truly wanted. We wanted to change that.”

Working with the WA Primary Health Alliance’s Greater Choices for At Home Palliative Care program, Dr. Singh guided the practice through the Palliative Care Champions initiative—a year-long program that has fundamentally changed how our team approaches palliative and end-of-life care.

Leadership That Makes a Difference

Central to this transformation has been the dedication of our Practice Manager, Shikha Panag, who stepped forward as Burslem Medical Centre’s Palliative Care Champion. Under Shikha’s leadership, our entire team has embraced this new approach with remarkable results.

“Shikha brought the whole team on this journey,” Dr. Singh explains. “She coordinated regular practice meetings, ensured everyone received the training they needed, and created a supportive environment where staff felt confident having these important conversations.”

What began as a challenge—many staff members initially felt hesitant about initiating end-of-life discussions—has become one of our practice’s greatest strengths. Through Shikha’s leadership and ongoing mentoring, our nurses now actively conduct assessments, our administrative team recognizes when patients might benefit from these conversations, and our doctors are having earlier, more meaningful discussions with patients about their wishes.

Real Impact for Real People

The changes have had profound effects on our community. We now proactively identify patients with complex needs and have open conversations about their goals and preferences. These aren’t morbid discussions—they’re empowering conversations that give patients control over their future care.

One story stands out: A patient with advanced COPD shared their clear wish to remain at home and avoid hospital admission at the end of life. When their health declined, our ACP documentation meant every provider involved in their care knew and respected these wishes. With support from the community palliative care team, this patient was able to spend their final days peacefully at home, surrounded by family—exactly as they’d hoped.

“This is what it’s all about,” says Dr. Singh. “Honouring what matters most to our patients and supporting their families during the most difficult times.”

Benefits to Our Community

The results speak for themselves:

• More patients staying home: Our proactive approach means fewer crisis admissions to emergency departments, with more patients able to remain in the comfort of their homes
• Empowered families: When families know their loved one’s wishes, they experience less stress and conflict during difficult times
• Better coordinated care: Our team works seamlessly with community palliative care services, hospitals, and specialists to ensure patients receive the right care at the right time
• Enhanced team capability: Our nurses have expanded their skills, and the entire team feels more confident and capable in supporting patients with complex needs

A Model for Others

Our commitment to quality improvement means we’re constantly learning and refining our approach. We’ve embedded after-death audits into our practice, allowing us to reflect on what went well and what we can improve. This process has become a valued part of our team’s professional development.

“Twelve months ago, we were taking the first steps on this journey,” reflects Dr. Singh. “Today, advance care planning is simply part of who we are as a practice. It’s embedded in our health assessments, our chronic disease management, and our everyday interactions with patients.”

Under the collaborative leadership of Dr. Kanwal Singh and Practice Manager Shikha Panag, Burslem Medical Centre is proving that when healthcare providers take the time to truly listen to patients and plan proactively, everyone benefits—patients, families, and the broader community.

“We’re honoured to serve our Maddington community,” says Shikha. “Knowing that we’re making a real difference during life’s most important moments—that’s why we do what we do.”