A report released today has ranked the United Kingdom top out of 80 countries in its quality of palliative care.
The 2015 Quality of Death Index- a measure of quality of palliative care provided in 80 countries across the globe- shows that the UK leads the world, ranking first in the index.
A strong hospice movement, comprehensive national policies, the extensive integration of palliative care into the NHS and deep community engagement on the issue are factors that contributed to the top ranking. However, the index also highlights there is still room for improvement in the UK with issues such as delays in diagnosis and referrals for treatment a cause for concern.
Chief Executive of Birmingham St Mary’s Hospice, Tina Swani said:
“It’s fantastic to see that the UK has been ranked number one out of the 80 countries. The hospice prides itself on the quality of care we provide to patients however as the report highlights, improvements still need to be made which is why funding, and sharing of expertise is so important. We hope to continue our research and development into palliative care to ensure we continue to provide the best quality of care. “.
The report coincides with Hospice Care Week (5th-11th October) – an annual awareness- raising week to raise the profile of hospice care across the UK.
