28 November 2008
By Paul Dicken
People suffering from terminal illness often face 'unplanned or unwanted admissions to hospital', the National Audit Office has said.
In a report, End of life care, the NAO said that of the half a million people who die each year, the majority die in an acute hospital following a period of 'chronic illness'. But most people 'wish to be cared for and die in their home'.
The number able to do so varied with age, geographical area and condition, the report, published on November 26, said.
The NAO recognised that the Department of Health was increasing the priority given to this area, with additional funding from next year for community services.
However, with people living longer and the incidence of frailty and multiple conditions in older people rising, there was a lack of training for frontline staff in end-of-life care. People's wishes were often not recorded and there was a lack of services to support them at home.
NAO head Tim Burr said there was scope within existing and planned resources for organisations to improve services.
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