Majority of hospice care is community-based
Posted 28 November 2016 - 10:31
Eighty per cent of hospice care for adults is provided in a range of community settings, with less than a fifth delivered in hospice inpatient units, according to a new report.
the report. Picture: iStock
Analysis by Hospice UK revealed the wide range of settings in which hospice care is provided, including in patients’ homes, day hospices or outpatient hospice care.
The charity said its findings showed that extending end of life care in the community is essential.
In 2015-16, 159,000 adults received community hospice services; 54,000 accessed outpatient hospice care and 35,000 day hospice care.
This accounted for 80% of care provided, with only 14% of adults (48,000) receiving hospice care in an inpatient hospice unit, according to the report.
Not reaching everyone
But it also showed that an estimated 100,000 people in the UK who need expert end of life care will not get the right support.
Diane Laverty, a nurse consultant in palliative care at St Joseph’s Hospice in London, said: ‘We know that we do not reach everybody.
‘We have a finite number of resources and we have to be careful, we think a lot about equity of access.’
Being more mindful of patients’ needs and, where appropriate, withdrawing care for a period of time if it is not needed, could allow more people to receive palliative care, she added.
National Council for Palliative Care chief executive Claire Henry said: ‘We all deserve good quality end of life care, of which hospice care will always be a vital part, and we cannot rest until this is the case.’
The report is based on analysis of the minimum data set for specialist palliative care services, which is produced annually and covers England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
The charity also analysed its own data on Scottish hospices to give a UK-wide picture.
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