In this month’s edition
Editable access for Londoners
Spotlight: Sutton & Merton End of Life Doula Project
Updated quick reference guide
One Year On: UCP Expansion Supports More Londoners
Improving Awareness of Palliative Care in Renal Services
UCP Report
Case study: why the UCP really matters
Dates for the Diary
Editable access for Londoners via the NHS Login Service
Our first focus in 2026 is enabling editable access for Londoners via the NHS login service. This will enable members of the public to start a care plan and add or update selected personal information in real time within the UCP, either via the NHS App or online login.
For the person receiving care, this provides greater involvement and control, improves the accuracy of personal information, and reduces the need to repeat preferences and personal stories across services. It also helps professionals gain a better understanding of the person behind the care plan and supports more meaningful conversations.
We expect this to go live in late spring and will keep you updated through this newsletter and our website as implementation progresses. We will also share a range of resources for both professionals and the public.
Spotlight: Sutton & Merton End of Life Doula Project
In this month’s newsletter, we’re sharing the Sutton and Merton End of Life Doula project, which recently concluded. The project supported people approaching the end of life, as well as those important to them, by providing community-based, non-clinical care that complements existing health and social care services.
Delivered in partnership between End of Life Doula UK (EoLDUK), the UK membership association charity for end of life doulas, NHS Southwest London, and local GP practices, the project enabled trained end of life doulas to provide emotional, practical, and spiritual support to people who may be experiencing anxiety, isolation, or uncertainty as they approach the end-of-life. Doulas also offer support to relatives and carers, helping them feel more prepared and less alone during an often overwhelming time.
Dr Emma Clare, Chief Executive Officer at EoLDUK, shared more about the project and its impact:
A key feature of the project has been the doulas’ individual access to the Universal Care Plan (UCP). This has allowed doulas to contribute to shared care records, communicating the person’s wishes and preferences, and relevant observations back to other professionals to support continuity of care.
The positive impact of the project, which is the second of its kind in Southwest London (with the first running in Kingston & Richmond, more information here), has been felt both by patients and professionals.
“We have referred a number of our patients and the feedback has been excellent…I have seen a remarkable improvement in my patients’ mental health through the calm presence and emotional support provided by the doulas. Their services helped to complement the clinical care and provided meaningful support to the carers and families…They offered warmth and reassurance to a young, care home resident who was frightened and lonely, finding her moments of comfort…The services offered by your team has enhanced the holistic care of our patients in a truly human way and I sincerely hope we are able to work together in the future.”
The EoLDUK Sutton and Merton NHS project demonstrates how community-based support, integrated through shared systems like the UCP, can enhance holistic end-of-life care in deeply human ways.
Find out more information here.
Updated quick reference guide
Updated quick reference guide
We’ve updated our quick reference guide to include clickable links on the second page, allowing you to view examples of what a completed UCP may look like. You can view the guide here.
Visit our Learn Page for a range of training resources.
One Year On: UCP Expansion Supports More Londoners
A year ago last week the UCP became a broader personalised care and support plan helping thousands more Londoners with long term conditions including dementia, frailty, learning disabilities and autism. It’s now supporting:
- over 12,300 people with frailty
- over 11,800 people with dementia
- over 1,100 with people with learning disabilities and/or autistic people
Thank you to everyone making this possible! You can read more here.
Improving Awareness of Palliative Care in Renal Services
The South East London Palliative and End of Life Care Programme hosted a series of tea trolley dashes on renal wards to engage staff, increase awareness of palliative care and address misconceptions, with a reminder that advance care planning should be recorded in the UCP. They have now been invited to share a poster presentation on the work at UK Kidney Week in Harrogate in March – congrats to the team!
You can view the poster here.
Improving Awareness of Palliative Care in Renal Services
Why the Universal Care Plan really matters
South East London GP Dr Emma Rowley-Conway talks about why the London Care Record and Universal Care Plan are ‘must have’ tools that support her provide the best possible care for her patients. Read the full case study here.
Dates for the Diary
18th February 10-11am – Learning Disability and Autism UCP Champions meeting. NHSE’s Learning Disability, Autism & SEND team have introduced a champions group to bring people working in LD services together to discuss the UCP. If you would like to be involved, get in touch here.
2nd March 1-2:30pm – UCP Palliative and End of Life Care Learn and Share. Hear updates on the UCP programme and have an opportunity to share feedback on the UCP for Palliative and End of Life Care. Find out more and register here.
5th March 1-2pm – UCP Champions Meeting. The Champions help to raise awareness and adoption of the UCP locally. If you’d like to find out more or join, get in touch.
19th March – People with Lived Experienced Group (PLEG). Our PLEG group help to keep people at the centre as the UCP evolves.