Daffodil Standards

The Daffodil Standards are the UK's structured, evidence‑based framework designed by the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) and Marie Curie, to improve palliative and end‑of‑life care across primary care settings. They provide a simple, step‑by‑step quality improvement approach, helping teams consistently deliver compassionate, safe, and coordinated care for people with advanced serious illness and those at the end of life.

Purpose of the Daffodil Standards

• Support earlier identification of patients approaching end of life.
• Ensure high‑quality, person‑centred care that is proactive and well‑coordinated.
• Strengthen communication and support for carers before and after death.
• Embed continuous learning and improvement within the team.
• Align primary care with national frameworks for end‑of‑life care.

The 8 Daffodil Standards

1. Professional and competent staff – Staff are skilled, supported, and confident.
2. Early identification – Recognising patients entering the last phase of life.
3. Carer support – Supporting carers before and after death.
4. Seamless, planned, coordinated care – Joined‑up experience for patients/families.
5. Assessment of unique needs – Holistic and personalised assessments.
6. Quality care in the last days of life – Ensuring comfort, dignity, and timely access to medicines.
7. Care after death – Compassionate support for bereaved families.
8. Compassionate communities – Working with community networks to support patients.

How teams use the standards

• Improve at least three standards each year; aim to cover all eight within three years.
• Use small quality‑improvement projects (PDSA cycles).
• Reflect regularly and review evidence‑based tools.

What this means for staff

• Clear structure for delivering compassionate care.
• Improved confidence in end‑of‑life conversations.
• Better coordination across services.
• Visible commitment to high‑quality palliative and bereavement support.