The high impact actions for nursing and midwifery 6: where to die when the time comes

Ward, Liz RGN
Fenton, Katherine MA, RCNT, RM, RGN
Maher, Lynne DProf, MBA, RGN

Liz Ward, RGN, is associate, high impact team, NHS Institute for Innovation and Improvement;
Katherine Fenton, MA, RCNT, RM, RGN, is chief nurse and director of clinical standards and workforce, NHS South Central;
Lynne Maher, DProf, MBA, RGN, is interim director for innovation, NHS Institute for Innovation and Improvement.

Nursing Times 106(32):p 18-19, August 17, 2010.

ABSTRACT

Ward L et al (2010) The high impact actions for nursing and midwifery 6: where to die when the time comes.Nursing Times;106:32, 18–19.

Around half of the 500,000 deaths in England each year occur in acute hospitals, while around half of all complaints made to acute trusts relate to an aspect of end of life care. However, research suggests that 40% of people who die in hospital have no medical need to be there, and that 55% of people with cancer would prefer to die at home while only around 25% do so.

When people die in hospital despite having a preference to die at home and no medical reason to be in hospital, it causes unnecessary distress to patients and their families, and is costly to the NHS.

This article, the seventh in our series on the high impact actions for nursing and midwifery, looks at how nurses can help to improve end of life care.

The quality of end of life care varies significantly. A challenge is to enable people to die in their place of choice and avoid inappropriate admission to hospital