The state of end of life care: Building back better after Covid-19

Article

Covid-19 has caused serious disruption to end of life care provision in England. Excess deaths have spiked due to the pandemic, putting more strain on providers. The hospice sector has seen their fundraising disrupted, putting beds and continuity of care at risk.

Place of death has shifted from acute to community settings, without the time for proper proactive planning and resourcing. And the well documented difficulties in social care – where life expectancy of residents is between 12 and
24 months – have impacted wellbeing and quality of life for many at the end of their lives.

We must go further and faster on end of life care in the coming years. This should be based on delivering a managed shift to community-led end of life care. This would not be one size all – rather, it would be about a model led by the community, and through which people receive the specialist and non-specialist services that are right for them.

Our policy recommendations focus on 'providing everyone the right care, from the right person, at the right time'.

Related items

  1. A person sits at a desk in front of a laptop. A semi-transparent screen shows a digital AI agent

    Strike while AI is hot: Rebuilding worker power for the age of AI

    How worker power should be reanimated in the face of AI-driven labour market shocks.
  2. The exterior of the Ministry of Defence building

    The Europe agenda: Defence and security

    In this period of geopolitical chaos, greater defence and security integration offer a fruitful way for the UK to deepen its relationship with Europe.
  3. Rear view of unrecognizable people walking together on the street

    A tough hand: Why rising youth inactivity demands urgent action

    On Thursday, new data will likely show the number of young people who will be out of education, employment or training (NEET) will surpass 1 million for the first time since 2013.