[UK] Exploring the challenges experienced by patients and families using palliative and end-of-life care services: A qualitative focus group study

[UK] Exploring the challenges experienced by patients and families using palliative and end-of-life care services: A qualitative focus group study
Palliative and Supportive Care; Gina Kallis, Gary Hodge, Hannah Wheat, Tomasina M Oh, Susie Pearce; 3/25
In the UK, access to dignified and compassionate palliative care is increasingly being reported as inadequate. A range of challenges were identified at different stages of the patient and family carer journey near the end-of-life. These included issues related to the delivery of care, such as communication challenges, a lack of out of hours care, and also a lack of personalized care. Patients and families also experienced everyday challenges due to the impact of living with a life-shortening condition and altered family dynamics as family members became carers. There were also some traumatic experiences of death and a sense of abandonment when care could not be accessed.