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Hospice Crisis: Patients Die Without Pain Relief
18 Mar
Summary
- Hospice providers warn of a funding emergency leading to service cuts.
- Nearly half a million people die in England annually.
- 42% of deaths occur in hospitals, not in preferred settings.
The UK's hospice sector is experiencing a severe funding crisis, prompting warnings that patients are dying in hospital corridors without pain relief. MPs and hospice providers have highlighted the urgent financial emergency, which has resulted in staff redundancies and the reduction of vital end-of-life care services.
This situation means too many individuals spend their final days in hospitals, rather than at home or receiving specialized care in hospices. A major report published recently reveals that approximately half a million people die in England annually. Of these deaths, 42% occur in hospitals, a setting many patients explicitly wish to avoid.
Fewer than three in ten (28%) deaths in England happen at home, while a mere 5% occur in hospices. MPs across the political spectrum have criticized the Government and NHS England for not adequately addressing the escalating financial challenges within the adult hospice sector.
