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The Patients Association is troubled by data from the Care Quality Commission (CQC) which shows that 40% of hospitals are offering indifferent or poor care for dying patients.

During their inspections, the CQC found some excellent example of hospitals providing end-of-life care, including eight that were rated as outstanding. However, they found too many hospitals were not offering a good enough level of care, with 67 rated as requiring improvement and seven rated as inadequate.

Katherine Murphy, Chief Executive of the Patients Association said: 

“The Patients Association believes that end-of-life care should always be safe and dignified. As our population ages, providing a good standard of palliative care is becoming more important. Good end-of-life care requires early and careful planning so that patients receive care that focuses on the needs of the individual and their family. 

The Patients Association is deeply concerned about the variation in quality of end-of-life care that this data has highlighted. For patients receiving palliative care, there is only one chance to get treatment right and give patients safe and compassionate end-of-life care. There must be increased leadership and training to help staff provide humane care for dying patients. 

As the need for end-of-life care increases, the Patients Association calls for palliative care to be as accessible and efficient as possible. It is vital that hospitals have enough specialist staff who are equipped and trained to provide truly patient-centred end-of-life care.”

Download the scope of the CQS’s thematic review of end of life care.

Inequalities and variations in of end of life carePDF | 118.48 KB

Coordinated care: integration, pathways and place

New models of care

Quality of care in a place

Looking at the quality of care pathways

Notes to Editors:

The Patients Association is an independent national health and social care charity established over 52 years ago, which has a long history of campaigning to ensure that the voice of patients is heard within the UK Health and Social care system.

For further information please contact Matthew Tisi, Communications & Public Affairs Officer, on 020 8423 9111, or email matthew@patients-association.com or call 07779 004898.

Visit our website at www.patients-association.org.uk