Findings of the National End of Life Survey have been published

The results of the first National End of Life Survey have been published.

In total, 4,570 bereaved family members and friends participated in the survey. The findings showed that almost 74% of participants rated the care that their relative or friend received at the end of their life as ‘very good’, 15% rated it as ‘good’, while 11% said that their relative received ‘fair’ to ‘poor’ care.

The survey included the experiences of people who received care or died in various settings. The most common place of death was a hospital (39.4%), followed by a nursing home, home and hospice. The people who died experienced a variety of pathways of care, involving multiple care settings and services in the last months and days of their lives. Differences were seen in the types of deaths that took place across settings. For example, those who died in hospitals typically had shorter
illnesses than those in other settings.

Participants highlighted positive experiences across several areas of care, including the respect and dignity with which their relative or friend was treated and the standard of care provided by staff. The survey found that most participants had confidence and trust in the healthcare staff who were caring for their relative or friend, and felt that they explained their relative or friend’s condition and care in a way that they themselves could understand.

The survey also identified several areas where care could be improved. Issues that were highlighted included the continuity, availability and responsiveness of care, timeliness of care and support for emotional needs. For example, 23.9% of participants answered ‘no’ when asked if there was good coordination between the different services and staff that cared for their relative or friend in the last three months of their life. Some participants also felt that their relative or friend did not get help from healthcare staff as soon as they needed it.

The most positive ratings of overall care at the end of life were from bereaved relatives of people who died in a hospice, with almost 94% of people rating the overall care that their relative or friend received in a hospice at the end of their life as ‘very good’.

The National Report is available here.