Healthcare management

Positive end of life

3.2 Strategy

Current strategies for end of life care focus almost exclusively on the medical aspects of care, and omit the social, spiritual and other needs of patients. The responsibility for end of life care should not fall only within the health sector, multi-sectoral working is needed to ensure a holistic approach. Several strategic challenges impact the delivery of positive end-of-life care:

Ageism: Older individuals often face discrimination, with their care needs dismissed as “social” rather than “medical” (Department of Health, 2013).

Coordination of Care: Poor communication and integration between health and social care services lead to fragmented care (Department of Health, 2008).

Access to Palliative Care: Older people, especially those with non-cancer conditions, face barriers to accessing specialist palliative care (WHO, 2011).

Training Deficiencies: Health and social care professionals often lack adequate training in end-of-life care, leading to suboptimal support (GMC Guidance, 2010).

Place of Death: Most people die in hospitals, despite surveys showing a preference for home or hospice deaths (ONS, 2012).

  1. 3.1 Introduction
  2. 3.2 Strategy
  3. 3.3 Policy
    1. 3.3.1 Key policy interventions
  4. 3.4 Private sector
    1. 3.4.1 Hospice and palliative care industries
    2. 3.4.2 Workplace health
    3. 3.4.3 Technology and end of life care
    4. 3.4.4 Third-sector organisations
    5. 3.4.5 Strategic partnerships
    6. 3.4.6 Innovations in end of life care