Better End of Life 2024. Time to care: Findings from a nationally representative survey of experiences at the end of life in England and Wales

Johansson, Therese; Pask, Sophie; Goodrich, Joanna; Budd, Lucy; Okamoto, Ikumi; Kumar, Rashmi; Laidlaw, Lynn; Ghiglieri, Cara; Woodhead, Andy; Chambers, Rachel L; Davies, Joanna; Bone, Anna E; Higginson, Irene J; Barclay, Stephen; Murtagh, Fliss E M; Sleeman, Katherine E

Abstract

Foreword
This is a critical time for action to improve palliative and end of life care.

The findings from this nationally representative survey in England and Wales demonstrate the extent to which people are dying without access to the services and support they and their unpaid carers need. In an increasingly over-stretched health and care system, despite their best efforts, many doctors and nurses simply do not have the time to provide the care they know their patients need.

It doesn’t have to be this way. In some local communities, innovative models of integrated care are supporting people to die well at home and preventing the distress and expense of ambulance call outs and A&E visits. But the postcode lottery in access to these services still exists.

Without urgent action, current gaps in access to palliative and end of life care are only going to grow in the coming years as our population ages. The legal duty on Integrated Care Boards in England to commission palliative care services and the Welsh Government’s introduction of the Quality Statement for Palliative and End of Life Care in Wales are positive first steps. However, there is currently no realistic national or local plan to address the scale of this challenge.

Using the findings from this research and drawing on our own expertise and experience in delivering high quality palliative and end of life care across the UK, Marie Curie will continue to push for the urgent changes needed to improve end of life care for all.

We are calling on the new UK Government to act urgently to make the policy changes needed to ensure that everyone affected by dying, death and bereavement receives the best possible care and support, both now and in the future.

Matthew Reed, Chief Executive, Marie Curie

Citation

Johansson, T., Pask, S., Goodrich, J., Budd, L., Okamoto, I., Kumar, R., Laidlaw, L., Ghiglieri, C., Woodhead, A., Chambers, R. L., Davies, J., Bone, A. E., Higginson, I. J., Barclay, S., Murtagh, F. E. M., & Sleeman, K. E. (2024). Better End of Life 2024. Time to care: Findings from a nationally representative survey of experiences at the end of life in England and Wales. Marie Curie

• Report Type: Research Report
• Acceptance Date: Aug 12, 2024
• Online Publication Date: Sep 3, 2024
• Publication Date: Sep 3, 2024
• Deposit Date: Sep 7, 2024
• Publicly Available Date: Oct 4, 2024
• Pages: 112
• Public URL: https://hull-repository.worktribe.com/output/4796800
• Publisher URL: https://www.mariecurie.org.uk/policy/better-end-life-report