End of Life Care Strategy

The importance of planning for the ageing of mortality as well as improving the quality of care for dying patients was recognised in the End of Life Care Strategy published in 2008.

Concerns had been raised about the variable quality of end of life care for different patient groups and in different regions of the UK.

A Health Commission review (2006) found that 54% of complaints about care in acute hospitals related to death and dying or lack of support for bereaved relatives.

More recent evidence indicates that patients with dementia are more likely to have a longer stay in hospital and are more likely to die there than patients without dementia.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) warns that the health and social care system is struggling to provide good care for people with dementia (2013).