End of life care could be improved for up to 355,000 people a year in England, according to a report published recently by the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman. The report highlights tragic cases where people’s suffering could have been avoided or lessened with the right care and treatment, as they approached the end of their lives.

The Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman makes final decisions on complaints about the NHS in England, including where there is a dispute about what happened. The Ombudsman service identified a range of issues with end of life care from its casework.   

The insight from its casework revealed:

• Poor communication with families losing the chance to say goodbye to their loved ones,
• Poor planning leading to uncoordinated care,
• Inadequate out-of-hours services and
• Poor pain management meaning that people spend their last days in pain when it can be avoided.

To read the report in full go to the Ombudsman’s website

Information supplied by Healthwatch North Yorkshire