Specialist palliative care could save up to £8,000 per person and improve quality of life, according to new research published in the journal Palliative Medicine.
The study, led by researchers at King’s College London, looked at two modes of palliative care for patients at home and those in acute hospital settings.
In addition to significantly reducing the overall cost of care per person, specialist palliative care provided at home or in hospital has also led to improved quality of life for patients during their final months of life.
Peter May, senior lecturer in health economics at King’s College London and lead author of the study, said:
“Around half of the people who could benefit from specialist palliative care receive palliative care, and this is very cost-effective for both patients and the NHS.”
Unplanned hospitalizations lead to increased costs
Although approximately 1% of people die each year in high-income countries, this group accounts for 8-10% of all health spending.
A major cause of this high cost is unplanned hospitalizations, which can lead to fragmented and unsatisfactory care.
In these countries, many people with serious medical illnesses prefer to receive palliative care at home if possible, but many end up dying in hospital.
Specialist palliative care may reduce these costs
Specialist palliative care refers to the care of people with more complex needs at the end of life who cannot be cared for by primary or core care teams.
Therefore, there is a need for a professionally skilled workforce with experience in providing palliative care as a primary role.
A new study used economic modeling to assess the potential savings that specialist palliative care could provide to the NHS.
The researchers combined the best available evidence from other studies and government statistics to estimate the cost savings from reducing unplanned hospital care, which benefits patients and the NHS.
Quality of life was measured by assessing five aspects of patients’ health status: mobility, self-care, usual activities, pain, and anxiety or depression.
Specialist palliative care at home saved costs by £7,908 per death, while specialist palliative care in hospital saved costs by £6,480 per death.
“Around half of the people who could benefit from specialist palliative care receive palliative care, and this is very cost-effective for both patients and the NHS. We must now look to understand how and why people who could benefit are not already receiving palliative care,” May said.
Specialist care is key to solving some of the NHS’s problems
Researchers found that in 2022, specialist palliative care in the UK supported more than 20,000 patients requiring end-of-life care outside of hospital, saving around 1.5 million bed days and reducing healthcare costs by £817 million.
Many people are missing out on high-quality palliative care even when available, increasing the need for enhanced palliative care from hospices, community teams, and hospitals.
This study demonstrates the value and cost-effectiveness of specialist palliative care in addressing major systemic issues in the NHS.
Professor Frith Mater, from Hull York Medical School, concluded: “Many people may be reluctant to seek palliative care, believing that it may accelerate their decline and put further pressure on health services. The reverse is also true.”
“This study shows that quality care in the right setting can improve quality of life, reduce symptoms and other concerns, and reduce pressure on the NHS. It should be sought by everyone with a serious illness.”
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