Marie Curie responds to second National Bereavement Survey (VOICES), 2012

“We only have one opportunity to get end of life care right. We should be providing a dignified and respectful death, regardless of setting, location or diagnosis. We need to learn from the VOICES Survey findings and make improvements in end of life care for all.

“It’s clear there is work to be done in terms of improving end of life care in all settings. Otherwise we risk letting people down at a crucial time - leaving behind memories of loved ones being treated with little dignity and respect. This is not good enough.”  - Dr Phil McCarvill, Head of Policy and Public Affairs, Marie Curie Cancer Care.

Commenting on the findings of the second National Bereavement Survey (VOICES) published today, leading end of life care organisation, Marie Curie Cancer Care’s Head of Policy and Public Affairs, Dr Phil McCarvill said:

“We welcome the publication of the second; National Bereavement Survey (VOICES), 2012, which we believe can make a huge contribution to improving end of life care in England.

The survey provides us with real insights into experiences of end of life care, in different settings and for people with different conditions. For example, it shows bereaved relatives report those with cancer experienced better care than other terminally ill people . It also highlights that the care terminally ill people receive is greatly affected by whether they receive care at home, in a care home, in a hospice, or a hospital.

“Marie Curie Cancer Care’s experience in providing nursing care at home and in our nine hospices, as well as our palliative care research has shown us what good end of life care looks like, for people with all terminal illnesses.

In the survey, bereaved relatives reported that people who died were much more likely to be ‘always’ treated with respect and dignity in hospices 84% for doctors and 82% for nurses , compared to 59% for doctors and 52% nurses in hospitals.

 “The National Bereavement Survey VOICES, 2012 provides a unique, all-encompassing view of the experiences of dying people through the eyes of bereaved relatives, not just those whose loved ones have accessed specialist services.  It must be used to drive improvements for all patients regardless of setting, location or diagnosis.

“The survey reinforces what families have been telling us directly; that their loved ones’ care is affected by what sort of terminal condition they have and that they do not always get the care they need, or deserve, at the end of their life.

“Importantly it shows that good quality care can be provided at the end of life. It’s vital that we learn from and share good practice from those hospitals, care homes, hospices and care at home settings who are getting it right.

WHAT WE WANT

“We want to see continued improvements in care across all settings including;

• More investment in quality palliative care
• More training and support for those providing end of life care in our hospitals
• Greater focus on quality care for all conditions noting the very real difference of experience between those with cancer and other conditions
• NHS England continuing to undertake the annual VOICES survey and using the results to drive up standards across all end of life care. This should be incorporated into the NHS Outcomes Framework for Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs)

Given ONS’s commitment to publish CCG level data in the autumn, commissioners should use this data to help identify and plug gaps in local service provision.

-ENDS-