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Call for deaths at home

22/11/2007

All terminally-ill people throughout England should be given the choice to die at home, a leading charity has said today.

Marie Curie Cancer Care found that when patients in one area were able to choose the numbers opting for their home environment doubled.

The pilot scheme - named Delivering Choice - was trialled in Boston, Lincolnshire.

Before the scheme 17 per cent were able to die at home, which rose to 42 per cent once the trial began.

Deaths in hospital fell from 63 per cent to 45 per cent and the cost of end-of-life care dropped by eight per cent.

Two-thirds of terminally-ill hospital patients expressed a preference to be cared for at home, even if they required complex care.

As a result of the trial's success it has since been rolled out to six further areas.

Marie Curie Cancer Care released the trial's findings on the second day of health minister Lord Ara Darzi's NHS next stage review.

The charity's chief executive, Tom Hughes-Hallett, said the results have "massive significance" considering that end-of-life care is "pushing up the healthcare agenda".

He called for the pilot scheme to be taken up by the rest of the UK, saying that it would be successful where NHS and social services work together.

"I would like Delivering Choice to be taken up by every healthcare authority for them to learn from the extraordinary story of Lincolnshire," he added.

National cancer director Professor Mike Richards described the Delivery Choice pilot scheme outcome as "extremely exciting".

"They demonstrate that close partnership working between the NHS and the voluntary sector can give major benefits for patients at the end of their lives, and can be cost effective."