15 November 2010
'Dying for change', an independent report commissioned by Help the Hospices was published yesterday by think-tank Demos.
The report provides an important insight into the ongoing debate surrounding how to give everyone nearing the end of life the care they need, regardless of the circumstances.
Charity Help the Hospices is establishing a working party to evaluate evidence and consider the future for hospice care in a changing environment. The working party will be chaired by Rt Hon Lord Newton of Braintree, outgoing chairman of Help the Hospices.
David Praill, chief executive of Help the Hospices, commented: "We asked Demos to do some fresh thinking and come up with some new ideas, which is what they have done. We want to get as many people as possible thinking and talking about dying and about care at the end of life, and this report will help to stimulate public debate. It also makes some very interesting suggestions about specific practical steps that could be taken at a national level and these merit deeper investigation.
"It is highly gratifying to see that Demos’ thinking is so in tune with the approach of hospices, namely: care tailored to the needs of the individual and in the place of their choosing. This is the bedrock of good end of life care, and it so often requires a collaborative approach between organisations and service providers. Seventy per cent of hospice care takes place in people’s homes1 and a growing number of hospices – already over two thirds – provide support to care homes to make sure residents get the palliative care they need2.
"Hospices have always been at the frontline of end of life care, and we have an awful lot to contribute to future developments. There is a tremendous amount of innovation and good work going on at a local level to tackle the issues outlined in the report by improving and increasing services to reach all sectors of the community, however marginalised and however complex their needs. The task now is to join the dots to make sure that instead of numerous pockets of excellence, we have a national norm of excellence."
Lord Newton of Braintree added: "This report has thrown up some interesting observations and suggestions. I look forward very much to exploring them in detail with my colleagues on the working party. We hope our activities will lead to us being able to put forward some specific steps that hospices and other organisations concerned with caring for those facing the end of life can take to ensure good experiences and outcomes for everyone, not just those in the right place at the right time."
Interim Chief Executive of Keech Hospice Care, Mike Keel, said: "While the content of this report is not new to hospices - it’s what we do. We welcome the debate that this report is causing and the encouragement it is giving to the British public to talk about death and dying. The whole ethos of hospice care is about choice, dignity, high quality care and an openness in talking about death and dying. Over 70% of hospice care is already provided at home. Keech Hospice Care is working with our partners and colleagues in Luton and South Bedfordshire to find ways to provide more of our expertise in settings other than the hospice building so that patients and families have more choice and options for their care."
References:
1. National Audit Office. End of life care. London: The Stationery Office, 2008
2. Help the Hospices. Hospice and palliative care directory 2009-2010 data collection, 2008-2009.
