Zara Dagg, commenced her role as End of Life Coordinator on Monday 08th February 2021. In this role, Zara is responsible for leading on, supporting and coordinating all activities associated with end of life care across Midland Regional Hospital Tullamore, Midland Regional Hospital Portlaoise and Naas General Hospital.
Zara aims to ensure a seamless care pathway for service users requiring end of life care across inpatient, community and homecare settings, as well as acute and day services. As we strive towards full implementation of the Hospice Friendly Hospital’s Quality Standards for End-of-Life Care in Hospitals, Zara will focus on staff, patients, families and the hospital environment. Zara is acutely aware of the importance of ensuring all service users get the right care, at the right time, by the right people and in the right place.
Head of Healthcare Programmes at Irish Hospice Foundation is Siobán O'Brien Green, "This is a hugely positive development for our long-established Hospice Friendly Hospitals (HFH) programme in partnership with the HSE which now counts over 45 hospitals nationwide working towards improving the end-of-life care they deliver through HFH. We are delighted to welcome the expansion of HFH through this post and are really looking forward to working with Zara as part of our HFH National End-of-Life Care Co-ordindator Network."
Zara has a background in Nursing in Tallaght University Hospital and Nurse Management in Our Lady’s Hospice and Care Services and St. Brigid’s Hospice, Kildare. She has also studied for a M.Sc. in Palliative Care at Trinity College Dublin. Zara has a role in education and training, audit and research, improving the hospital environment, ensuring practical resources and support for relatives, and advocacy for patients, families and staff. End of life care matters to us all and as healthcare professionals, we have an opportunity to make a difference. We must make every effort to ensure each person, and their family and friends, have the best experience possible. Zara aims to support and empower staff to deliver holistic, compassionate, person-centred care from diagnosis of a life limiting illness through to bereavement support for families and loved ones, after their loved one has passed away.
Zara would be delighted to hear from staff of all disciplines, patients, their families and carers, or any other interested individuals, about all matters regarding end of life care and how we can build on the quality of palliative care provision in our hospitals.
Contact Zara: zara.dagg@hse.ie
