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Greater choice for home deaths 'cost effective'

22/04/2008

Dying patients can be given greater choice to die in their own homes without costing the NHS more money, a report concludes today.

Since 2004 the Marie Curie Delivering Choice programme has worked with doctors and nurses in hospitals, hospices and community services to give people in Lincolnshire with terminal illnesses the choice of dying at home, rather than in hospital.

A King's Fund independent study of the scheme said it has helped significantly more people to die at home.

The group's evaluation of the impacts and costs of the programme says it represents a cost-effective model of care that makes choosing to die at home a viable option for dying patients.

The King's Fund argues that the findings represent a positive development of services that should be further researched and understood.

King's Fund chief executive Niall Dickson said many people are unable to die at home as they wish.

"While we must be careful about drawing widespread conclusions from this limited study, we know that more people have been able to die at home at no extra cost to the NHS," he added.

"This shows that a more strategic use of local services can transform care at the end of life and these findings will be useful in taking forward our understanding of how to improve services in an area that has for far too long remained under-researched and under-supported."