Helston hospital is among ten in Cornwall to become the first in the UK to receive a major national award recognising the quality of care they are providing their patients as they approach the end of their lives.

The hospital, operated by Penninsula Community Health, was presented with the Quality Hallmark Awards at the National Gold Standards Framework Centre annual conference in London on Friday, September 26, after being assessed by a panel of independent experts.

These found that the hospitals demonstrated they were “well placed to meet their patients’ needs at this most vulnerable time”, helping them communicate their wishes and coordinate their care.

The hospital has also “demonstrated the ability to better plan patients’ care with GPS and district nurses”, enabling many to return home quickly when this is what they have wanted.

The Gold Standards Framework started in 2000 in primary care and is the biggest and most comprehensive programme to improve care at the end of life.

GSF founder and national clinical director professor Keri Thomas, said: “Cornwall has a proud tradition of community hospitals and my family has been connected with the county for almost 100 years so I am doubly delighted to see these hospitals putting good care for vulnerable patients at the heart of what they do and being rewarded for doing so.

“This year’s GSF Accredited Community Hospitals have demonstrated real improvements and show us what is possible and achievable in hospital care. They have made a real difference for their patients and families and shown that high quality care can be delivered for all people nearing the end of life.

“Most notably, they now achieve early identification rates of over 30 per cent, offer advance care planning discussions to all these patients and are able to work well with GPs and the community to support a more proactive approach. They are national trailblazers and are an inspiration to us all.”