The work of a team that cares for patients in their final days has been recognised by a national award.

Lancashire and South Cumbria’s Integrated Care Board’s (ICB) palliative care and end-of-life team was honoured at the inaugural Palliative and End of Life Care Awards 2024.

Alongside their partners, they were commended for their exceptional achievement and commitment to partnerships working across health and social care.

The award provides recognition for the ICB’s approach to utilising the Palliative and End of end-of-life care “getting to outstanding” framework.

Based on identifying areas of good practice and gaps or inequalities in the care provided the framework helps to inform priority recommendations for planning the region’s services.

Dr Lindsey Dickinson, associate medical director at the ICB, said: “This award recognises end-of-life and palliative care teams across the whole of Lancashire and South Cumbria.

“Winning this award is national recognition that individuals, teams and organisations in Lancashire and South Cumbria have provided effective, high-quality, person-centred end-of-life and palliative care.

“This is so important as it enables people to have a good life and a good death.”

Judges praised the ICB as “an outstanding exemplar of partnership working” which focuses on relationship building, sharing of knowledge and information, collaborative working and highlighting the importance of understanding dying, death and bereavement.

The enthusiastic and inspiring dedication shown across Lancashire and South Cumbria from the multiple statutory health and social care organisations were recognised as key reasons for the success.

Acknowledgement was also given to the local authorities, voluntary, community, faith and social enterprise sector, independent sector providers partners, Marie Curie and NHS England North West Coast Clinical Network.

NHS Lancashire and South Cumbria ICB is responsible for improving people’s health and wellbeing through developing plans to meet the population’s health needs, managing the NHS budget and arranging for the provision of health services across the region.