University of Hull evidence prompts MPs to demand urgent palliative care action

Professor Murtagh, Director of the Wolfson Palliative Care Research Centre at the University of Hull, was one of three experts to give evidence in person to a committee of MPs looking at future support for people living with far advanced illness.

The Public Accounts Committee’s report, Financial sustainability of adult hospices in England, published today, reflects Professor Murtagh’s research showing too many older people receive unnecessary hospital treatments with limited benefit and may also die in hospitals rather than at home where they want to be. There is not enough high-quality care for those at home.

Professor Murtagh said:

“Too little palliative care is being offered, and it’s often too late.

“Around 170,000 people in England each year spend their final days in pain, distress, or without essential end-of-life support. One in three die without the care and support they need.

“Our recent research has shown specialist palliative care could reduce healthcare costs by up to £8,000 per person and significantly improve quality of life in the final months.

Professor Murtagh advised the Committee that overtreatment diverts resources from care.

“Highly technical treatments may sometimes extend life, but the focus is often on what can be offered – not what benefits patients. Most older people don’t want a lot of interventions. We’re diverting funding away from improving their care and support.

“Specialist palliative care reduces hospital stays, improves quality of life, and costs less – so why aren’t we doing it?”

Experts warned the Public Accounts Committee that the situation is worsening and the charitable hospice sector is under unsustainable pressure.

Researchers from Hull, and King’s College London, with support from the University of Edinburgh and funding from Marie Curie, warn that unmet need will continue to rise without urgent action.

Unmet palliative care need is projected to increase by 21% over the next 25 years, meaning that by 2050 more than 212,000 people a year in the England could die without the care they require.

Professor Murtagh said: “As demand increases, we can’t continue to rely on the charitable hospice sector. People are living longer with more complex and multiple conditions and, for now, hospices are absorbing that pressure.

“As need increases, charities will not be able to keep up. A system-wide approach is essential to allocate resources to ensure those at the end of their lives receive the care we would all want for our loved ones.”

The UK Government had committed to publishing a Palliative and End of Life Care Modern Service Framework this spring; publication has now been delayed until autumn.

“Our research offers a stark warning that our systems are not meeting the needs of a growing older population at the end of their lives. The evidence shows not just gaps in care, but systemwide limitations that repeatedly fail people during their final months.

“The Public Accounts Committee have now called on the Government to act with seriousness and urgency. A call we greatly welcome.”

A study from the University of Hull, King’s College London and the University of Leeds examined specialist palliative care delivered at home and in hospital. In both settings, it was associated with better quality of life and substantial cost savings.

"Specialist palliative care improves patient experience, reduces bed days and saves money: An economic modelling study of home- and hospital-based care" (Peter May et al.) (https://doi.org/10.1177/02692163261423755) is published in Palliative Medicine.