Closure of the Point of Care Foundation: FAQs
Introduction
The Point of Care Foundation will cease to support and license Schwartz Rounds in the UK and Republic of Ireland as it is closing at the end of 2025. Licensing and support for Schwartz Rounds sites in the UK and Ireland will transfer to the Schwartz Center for Compassionate Healthcare, based in Boston, USA, which is the licensing body for Schwartz Rounds internationally.
These FAQs are designed to provide general information for current sites, organisations interested in starting Schwartz Rounds, and other stakeholders. We have sent more detailed guidance to Schwartz sites. If you require more information, contact the Point of Care Foundation team via info@pointofcarefoundation.org.uk.
Background
Q: Why is the Point of Care Foundation closing?
A: The Point of Care Foundation has been an independent charity since 2013 with a mission to humanise healthcare in the UK. Like many small charities, the organisation has faced financial challenges in recent years. The Board of Trustees believe that the most sustainable way for its services and programmes to continue to have an impact for staff and citizens in the UK is for these to be transferred to larger and more resilient organisations, which can continue to deliver them in the long term.
To this end, the Experiences of Care programme was successfully transferred to the Picker Institute Europe earlier this year with the aim of growing the programme and having greater impact for patients and families.
For the Schwartz Rounds programme, the Schwartz Center for Compassionate Healthcare will take over the provision of licensing, training and support of Schwartz sites in the UK and Ireland. This will bring UK and Ireland sites into a wider international community of Schwartz sites, including organisations in the US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.
Q: What is the Schwartz Center for Compassionate Healthcare and how does it relate to Schwartz Rounds and the Point of Care Foundation?
A: The Schwartz Center for Compassionate Healthcare was founded by Kenneth Schwartz, who was diagnosed with cancer at age 40 and found that what mattered most in his treatment was the human connections he formed with his caregivers. Its mission is to partner with healthcare organisations to advance compassion for patients, care teams, and their healing relationships, and its vision is to be a global leader in championing compassion for all who seek and provide healthcare. The Schwartz Center is celebrating its 30th anniversary in 2025.
The Schwartz Center developed Schwartz Rounds and established them within US health organisations shortly after its founding in 1995. Today it supports Schwartz Rounds at almost 600 sites across the US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. Schwartz Rounds were introduced to the UK in 2009 by the Point of Care programme at the King’s Fund. As an independent charity since 2013, The Point of Care Foundation has held a license from the Schwartz Center to support Schwartz Rounds in the UK and Ireland. The two organisations have worked together throughout the life of the Point of Care Foundation.
The Schwartz Center also runs other programs for partner organisations and individuals, including Stress First Aid and Compassion Cultivation Training, as well as various education, recognition, and networking offerings – all focused on advancing compassionate care for both patients and their care teams.
Q: What is happening about the work with non-healthcare sites in the UK and Ireland?
A: The Point of Care Foundation has supported other types of organisations to run Schwartz Rounds, such as social services, higher education institutes, and veterinary practices. These sites will also transfer to the Schwartz Center. The team at the Schwartz Center is keen to continue support for these areas outside traditional acute care settings, and to explore even more areas where Schwartz Rounds can have impact.
Information for current Schwartz sites
Q: Will my organisation’s Schwartz Rounds be the same as before?
A: Yes. The structure, format and principles of Schwartz Rounds remain the same. Staff and students in health organisations, HEIs, hospices, veterinary practices or any of the other settings where Schwartz Rounds are running in the UK and Ireland, will continue to benefit from the same regular forum for reflection and peer support.
Q: What happens to our existing Schwartz Rounds facilitators and coordinators?
A: There is no change to how Schwartz Rounds should be administered within your organisation. Your current facilitators and coordinators will continue in their roles. The Schwartz Center will provide additional support and training opportunities to ensure continuity and to help Schwartz Rounds teams to be as effective as possible.
Q: Are there any differences between Schwartz Rounds in the US and in the UK and Ireland?
A: Schwartz Rounds in both the US and the UK and Ireland maintain consistency in their core structure, purpose and experience. Schwartz Rounds were created by the Schwartz Center for Compassionate Healthcare in the US before they were brought to the UK in 2009. The fundamental format remains identical: Schwartz Rounds provide a structured forum where all staff, clinical and non-clinical, come together regularly to discuss the emotional and social aspects of working in healthcare. The multidisciplinary nature, confidential environment, and facilitated discussion format create the same supportive atmosphere for participants around the world.
Q: What can organisations running Schwartz Rounds expect from this change?
A: As the Point of Care Foundation winds down its operations, the Schwartz Center will take over the provision of licensing, training and support for organisations running Schwartz Rounds in the UK and Ireland. These sites will join the Schwartz Center’s growing international network, alongside organisations in the US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, which all share the Schwartz Rounds’ founding principles and evidence-based approach. The change means UK and Ireland sites can continue to run licensed Schwartz Rounds, and ensures long-term support for Schwartz sites in the UK and Ireland after the Point of Care Foundation winds down.
Q: How will working with the Schwartz Center differ from the Point of Care Foundation?
A: We have worked closely with the Schwartz Center to ensure that the services you have paid for with your license fee are provided in full under the new arrangement. The service delivery model will be slightly different, as we set out in the questions below. The main differences are that training and support are all delivered online and your current mentor may change.
Q: Why is the support all online?
A: Online support for Schwartz sites is largely driven by the distances involved, and is consistent with how support is delivered in the US and with sites in other countries. Services from the Point of Care Foundation have been split between online and in-person for some time.
Q. What will this mean for mentoring?
A: The Schwartz Center will continue to provide a similar mentor model. Your current mentor relationship may change after the transfer of your license. Each site will continue to have a Schwartz Rounds Mentor that will deliver training and support and meet the full quota of mentor hours agreed in your contract with the Point of Care Foundation.
Q: Will we still receive training and support for Schwartz Rounds?
A: Yes. The Schwartz Center will continue to provide comprehensive training, ongoing support, and resources. If you have already purchased training places for your organisation, you will be able to use them through your current contract period. Additionally, the Schwartz Center publishes enhanced support materials and offers expanded training opportunities as part of the global Schwartz Center community.
Q: What about our monthly Community of Practice sessions?
A: The Community of Practice meetings we have scheduled up to the end of the year (published on the Point of Care Foundation website) will all go ahead. The Schwartz Center has committed to maintaining monthly Community of Practice sessions and community-building activities, including learning and peer learning opportunities.
Q: Will the evidence-based approach to Schwartz Rounds continue?
A: The Schwartz Center pioneered the evidence-based approach to Schwartz Rounds and will continue to support rigorous evaluation and continuous improvement. The evidence base demonstrates similar positive outcomes in both countries, with research showing that participants experience enhanced empathy, stronger professional relationships, and improved emotional support, regardless of location. This consistency ensures that participating organisations and staff can expect the same meaningful, transformative experience from Schwartz Rounds wherever they are in the world. Research into the impact of Schwartz Rounds in the UK and Ireland has made a significant contribution to the academic evidence base for Schwartz Rounds. Current research in the UK and Ireland will not be affected by this change.
Q: What are the benefits of joining the global Schwartz Center community?
A: Organisations in the UK and Ireland will gain access to a larger community of practice, international best practices, enhanced resources, and opportunities for collaboration with other organisations running Schwartz Rounds worldwide. This includes learning from experiences in the US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.
Q: Will there be opportunities for international exchange and learning?
A: Yes, the Schwartz Center is exploring opportunities for international conferences, virtual exchanges, and sharing of best practices across countries. This will provide all health and social care professionals and students with broader perspectives on compassionate care.
Q: What happens to the resources on the Point of Care Foundation website?
A: The resources that are currently available in the Schwartz Community section of the Point of Care Foundation website will be made available on the Schwartz Center website. We will also maintain the Point of Care Foundation website for a period after its closure, to ensure a smooth transition. The Schwartz Center’s Program Resource website and Learning Center also contain other resources used by sites around the world, which Schwartz sites in the UK and Ireland will gain access to.
Q: How can I find out more about services from the Schwartz Center?
A: We are holding two town-hall style meetings, on 22 October (4-5pm) and 11 November (1-2pm), where current Schwartz sites can find out more about the Schwartz Center, and ask questions. These events will be held online. If you are involved in Schwartz Rounds at a current Schwartz site, you can sign up to attend via www.pointofcarefoundation.org.uk/townhalls/. You can also look at the Schwartz Center website which gives details of their other activities: www.theschwartzcenter.org.
Information for prospective Schwartz sites
Q: I’m interested in starting Schwartz Rounds in my organisation, what should I do?
A: Any organisation wishing to begin Schwartz Rounds but who has not already done so, will need to apply for a license from the Schwartz Center, as they will be licensing UK and Ireland sites directly, and providing training and ongoing support.
Q: I am working towards getting Schwartz Rounds established at my organisation. Who should I speak to now?
A: If you have been actively planning to start Schwartz Rounds but haven’t yet made a formal application, you will now need to apply direct to the Schwartz Center – even if you are planning to do this before the end of 2025. Because the Point of Care Foundation will no longer be running after that date, it makes most sense for you to speak directly with the team at the Schwartz Center. If you have already spoken with the Point of Care team about your application, we have made the Schwartz Center aware that you are keen to move forward with Schwartz Rounds, and we will work to support your application during the transition period.
Q: How do I apply for a Schwartz Rounds license from the Schwartz Center?
A: There is a form on the Schwartz Center website for inquiries: www.theschwartzcenter.org/join/healthcare-membership-inquiry-form/
Q: Who can I contact if I have additional questions?
A: For immediate questions, contact the Point of Care Foundation team via info@pointofcarefoundation.org.uk. For questions about the Schwartz Center, you can reach out to their team at info@theschwartzcenter.org.
Published 02/10/25