Many hospital patients ‘denied dignified death’

Hospitals have been accused of letting down dying patients after a survey found that staff are less likely show dignity and respect to people at the end of their lives than their counterparts in hospices.

A survey of bereaved family members found that 87 per cent of doctors and 80 per cent of nurses in hospices showed dignity and respect “all the time” But the Office of National Statistics (ONS) research showed that the figures in hospitals fell to 57 per cent for doctors and 48 per cent for nurses.

The data, collated by the ONS to examine end of life care, showed that hospitals were also the most common place for people to die. Imelda Redmond, Marie Curie Cancer Care’s director of policy and public affairs, said: “Hospitals are letting people down at a crucial time and this poor care is leaving behind memories of loved ones being treated with little dignity and respect, and dying in pain. This is simply not good enough.

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“Good quality care can be provided at the end of life. The care received in hospices and at home was highly regarded by relatives.

Eve Richardson, chief executive of the National Council for Palliative Care and the Dying Matters Coalition, said: “There is absolutely no excuse for not treating people who are dying with dignity and respect, which is why it is disturbing that hospital staff appear to be failing to do this consistently.”

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