Health services in Brent will review their approach to end of life care after some services at a hospice were halted due to staff shortages.

Its clinical commissioning group (CCG) presented a report to a Brent Council scrutiny group in response to issues at Pembridge Hospice, in Exmoor Street.

In-patient services at the centre were suspended in October 2018 after the local NHS trust could not find a specialist palliative care consultant replacement.

The CCG said the situation presented the “opportunity” to examine its overall approach to end of life care and it is likely to consult with residents on the matter.

Dr Madhukar Patel, of Brent CCG, said: “If we are not able to deliver on what our patients want – dying with dignity, surrounded by family, if they have them – then we aren’t delivering on anything.

“We need to have early conversations about people we know are dying and try to carry out their wishes.”

It presented four ‘scenarios’ – noting these were not ‘options’ to follow through on – including the prospect of closing some services at Pembridge.

But Sheik Auladin, managing director at Brent CCG, stressed that it was “not cutting services” rather looking at how to “improve patient pathways”.

The CCG said 70 per cent of people who require end-of-life care would prefer to die at home.

But councillors on the scrutiny committee noted that, of those who had experience of hospice environments, 80 per cent would like to use these facilities.

Cllr Wilhelmina Mitchell Murray, of Wembley Central ward, recounted the “excellent” care a relative received at Pembridge and said it was “ridiculous” to even consider altering services there.

“This has been going on for years, but have you even consulted with those who have lost relatives?” she said.

“When someone comes to the end of their life, they deserve dignity. Doctors and nurses [at Pembridge] do not treat you like a nobody.

“Do you understand how important this message is? Unless you talk to people who have experienced it, you won’t. This is a service worth saving.”

The CCG explained that the report intended to initially elicit views of residents when it comes to palliative care.

If there is desire for a “significant change” to its approach, it will carry out a full consultation and presentations before council committees.