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Hospice at Home services in England: a national survey.

Accepted version
Peer-reviewed

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Type

Article

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Authors

Rees-Roberts, Melanie  ORCID logo  https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7121-0414
Williams, Peter 
Hashem, Ferhana 
Brigden, Charlotte 
Greene, Kay 

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: Hospice at Home (HAH) services aim to enable patients to be cared for and die at home, if that is their choice and achieve a 'good death'. A national survey, in 2017, aimed to describe and compare the features of HAH services and understand key enablers to service provision. METHODS: Service managers of adult HAH services in the 'Hospice UK' and National Association for Hospice at Home directories within England were invited to participate. Information on service configuration, referral, staffing, finance, care provision and enablers to service provision were collected by telephone interview. RESULTS: Of 128 services invited, 70 (54.7%) provided data. Great diversity was found. Most services operated in mixed urban/rural (74.3%) and mixed deprivation (77.1%) areas and provided hands-on care (97.1%), symptom assessment and management (91.4%), psychosocial support (94.3%) and respite care (74.3%). Rapid response (within 4 hours) was available in 65.7%; hands-on care 24 hours a day in 52.2%. Charity donations were the main source of funding for 71.2%. Key enablers for service provision included working with local services (eg, district nursing, general practitioner services), integrated health records, funding and anticipatory care planning. Access to timely medication and equipment was critical. CONCLUSION: There is considerable variation in HAH services in England. Due to this variation it was not possible to categorise services into delivery types. Services work to supplement local care using a flexible approach benefitting from integration and funding. Further work defining service features related to patient and/or carer outcomes would support future service development.

Description

Keywords

End of life, hospice, hospice at home, palliative care, services, Adult, Caregivers, England, Home Care Services, Hospice Care, Hospices, Humans

Journal Title

BMJ Support Palliat Care

Conference Name

Journal ISSN

2045-435X
2045-4368

Volume Title

Publisher

BMJ

Rights

All rights reserved
Sponsorship
National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) (via University of Kent) (22409)
This project was funded by the National Institute for Health Research Health Services and Delivery Research Programme (project number 14/197/44).