The 2015 Quality of Death Index

"This is the second edition of the Index, updating and expanding upon the first iteration, which was published in 2010. The new and expanded 2015 Index evaluates 80 countries using 20 quantitative and qualitative indicators across five categories: the palliative and healthcare environment, human resources, the affordability of care, the quality of care and the level of community engagement. To build the Index the EIU used official data and existing research for each country, and also interviewed palliative care experts from around the world."

The 2015 Quality of Death Index: Ranking palliative care across the world
The Economist Intelligence Unit
October 2015

Read more here.

Tools to help provide care and support at home

"These pages provide useful tools, resources and examples of innovative approaches to enabling older people and people with disabilities to live well and independently in their own homes. They provide specific information across 8 key areas for adult social care commissioners, housing and care providers, primary care services and NHS hospital trusts on shaping, commissioning, funding, and delivering a range of care and support solutions for people living in their own homes."

Find out more here.

The system-wide response to the Independent Review of the Liverpool Care Pathway

"The evidence of progress set out in this report suggests a genuine, sustained commitment across the health and care system to the principles set out in the Priorities for Care. It also bears witness to the practical work being done to deliver genuine improvements to the care dying people and those important to them receive. This includes a commitment to preventing and avoiding repetitions of the poor care identified by the Independent Review of the Liverpool Care Pathway."

One chance to get it right: One year on report: An overview of progress on commitments made in One chance to get it right: the system-wide response to the Independent Review of the Liverpool Care Pathway
Department of Health
July 2015

Read more here.

Use of health and social care by people with cancer

"This report focuses on the two periods when people with cancer make greatest use of hospital care – in the period around and following diagnosis, and at the end of life."

Use of health and social care by people with cancer
X Chitnis, A Steventon, A Glaser, M Bardsley
Nuffield Trust
May 2014

Read the summary here.

Read the full report here.

Global atlas of palliative care at the end of life

"Only 1 in 10 people who need palliative care - that is medical care to relieve the pain, symptoms and stress of serious illness - is currently receiving it. This unmet need is mapped for the first time in the "Global atlas of palliative care at the end of life", published jointly by the WHO and the Worldwide Palliative Care Alliance (WPCA)."

Access the Atlas here.

How clinical commissioning groups are changing the face of the NHS

"These stories demonstrate how the NHS can become patient centred and sustainable. Not only do these innovations help people to stay well or prevent them becoming ill in the first place, they also allow the NHS to make best use of precious resources."

Taking the lead: how clinical commissioning groups are changing the face of the NHS
NHS Clinical Commissioners
January 2014

Read more here.

Read a summary from the Commissioning Elf here.

More care, less pathway: a review of the Liverpool Care Pathway

"The Review considered evidence from many quarters: written submissions from members of the public and health professionals with experience of the LCP, as well as professional bodies and other organisations; a review of academic literature; a review of relevant hospital complaints; and surveys of health professionals."

More care, less pathway: a review of the Liverpool Care Pathway
Baroness Julia Neuberger (Chair of Review Panel)
July 2013

Read more here.

Palliative and end of life care for Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic groups in the UK

"There is growing evidence that ethnic and cultural differences can influence patterns of advanced disease, illness experiences, healthcare seeking behaviour, and the use of healthcare services..... This report therefore provides an evidence-base to understand the profile of BAME populations living in the UK, and identifies their unmet needs regarding palliative and end of life care."

Palliative and end of life care for Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic groups in the UK
N Calanzani, J Koffman, IJ Higginson
Mari Curie Cancer Care
June 2013

Read more here.

RCGP commissioning guidance in end of life care

"Guidance for GPs, Clinical Commissioning Group advisers and commissioners in supporting better care for all people nearing the end of their life."

RCGP commissioning guidance in end of life care
K Thomas, D Paynton
Royal College of General Practitioners
March 2013

Read more here.

Deaths from cardiovascular diseases: implications for end of life care in England

"This report provides useful and descriptive overview of the current trends in mortality from cardiovascular diseases including circulatory diseases, congenital heart disease and vascular dementia."

Deaths from cardiovascular diseases: implications for end of life care in England
National End of Life Care Programme
February 2013

Read more here.

Deaths from cardiovascular diseases: implications for end of life care in England

"This report describes patterns in mortality from cardiovascular diseases in England, highlighting variation in place and cause of death by age, sex, socioeconomic deprivation and disease group."

Deaths from cardiovascular diseases: implications for end of life care in England
National End of Life Care Programme
February 2013

Read more here.

When a patient seeks advice or information about assistance to die

This short explanatory guidance, from the GMC, provides advice on how the principles in Good Medical Practice  and Treatment and care towards the end of life: good practice in decision making  apply when patients who are reaching the end of their life, or who have severe disabilities, seek help or advice about ending their lives.

Read more here.

Current and future needs for hospice care

"This report provides evidence on what is known and still needs to be known about patients’ and families’ needs for hospice care towards the end of life."

Current and future needs for hospice care: an evidence-based report
N Calanzani, IJ Higginson, B Gomes
January 2013

Read more here.

Commissioning guidance for specialist palliative care

"The purpose of this document is to provide commissioners with key information to help them commission specialist palliative care, as a specific component of the whole spectrum of palliative and end of life care service provision."

Commissioning guidance for specialist palliative care: helping to deliver commissioning objectives
Association for Palliative Medicine of Great Britain and Ireland, Consultant Nurse in Palliative Care Reference Group, Marie Curie Cancer Care, National Council for Palliative Care, and Palliative Care Section of the Royal Society of Medicine
December 2012

Read more here.

A good death: the role of the local authority in end of life care

"This research shows that progress has been made in some areas of the country, but that there is further still to go in developing a fully integrated approach to end of life care that draws in the expertise in health, social care and housing to deliver joined up, personalised services."

A good death: the role of the local authority in end of life care
Local Government Information Unit
November 2012

Read more here.

Impact of the Marie Curie Nursing Service on place of death and hospital use at the end of life

"The evaluation examined whether this home-based nursing care helped more people to die at home, and its impact on use and costs of hospital care at the end of life."

The impact of the Marie Curie Nursing Service on place of death and hospital use at the end of life
X Chitnis, T Georghiou, A Steventon, M Bardsley
Nuffield Trust
November 2012

Read more here.

First steps to improving chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) care

"NHS Improvement has over a decade of experience in clinical patient pathway redesign in cancer, diagnostics, heart, lung and stroke and demonstrates some of the most leading edge improvement work in England which supports improved patient experience and outcomes."

First steps to improving chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) care
NHS Improvement - Lung
October 2012

Read more here.

Commissioning person centred end of life care

"This toolkit identifies the main elements involved in commissioning for person centred end of life care. It explains the commissioning cycle in practical terms and offers a four-stage approach to successful commissioning across all sectors."

Commissioning person centred end of life care: a toolkit for health and social care professionals
National End of Life Care Programme
October 2012

Read more here.

Reviewing end of life care costing information to inform the QIPP End of Life Care Workstream

"There are potential savings that could be released by shifting care from the acute to the community setting if such is the patient’s wish and if the commensurate disinvestment in acute care systems can be achieved."

Reviewing end of life care costing information to inform the QIPP End of Life Care Workstream
National End of Life Care Programme
September 2012

Read more here.

New intelligence on end of life care in England

"The information contained within this report provides a great opportunity and lever for change and should be used to help identify where to channel our efforts most effectively over the coming years."

What do we know now that we didn't know a year ago? New intelligence on end of life care in England
NHS National End of Life Care Programme
May 2012

Read more here.