The impact of nursing shortage on end of life care - our response

Dying people should not be deprived of choice over where they receive care and nurses must be equipped and fully supported to cope with the emotional demands of caring for people at the end of life.

Anita Hayes, Head of Learning and Workforce

A new annual survey carried out by the charity Marie Curie and Nursing Standard shows that almost two thirds (65 per cent) of nurses struggle to provide good care to dying patients due to staff shortages in the NHS and caring sector.

Commenting in response, Anita Hayes Head of Learning and Workforce at national hospice and palliative care charity Hospice UK, said:

“The findings of this survey are shocking and also sadly familiar as the staff shortages in the NHS and caring sector have been a key barrier to nurses striving to provide good care to people approaching the end of life and also impacts negatively on nurses themselves.

“Dying people should not be deprived of choice over where they receive care and nurses must be equipped and fully supported to cope with the emotional demands of caring for people at the end of life.

“Tackling workforce pressures in the palliative care sector is a key priority for Hospice UK and we are working with hospices and partner organisations across the UK on innovative approaches to better support and retain nursing staff across all care settings.

“These include improving support for newly qualified nurses to reduce stress and increase personal resilience and also new approaches to promote staff development, enabling nurses to gain knowledge and experience across different care providers.

“We hope the forthcoming NHS People Plan takes into account the needs of the whole health and care workforce, beyond just the NHS.”

Notes to editors

• Hospice UK is the national charity for hospice and palliative care. It works to ensure all adults and children living with a terminal or life-shortening illness receive the care and support they need, when they need it.
• Hospice UK supports 210 hospices across the UK which care for over 200,000 adults and children every year
• For further information about hospice care visit our website www.hospiceuk.org or follow us on Twitter @hospiceuk
• Get all the latest news from the hospice and palliative care sector, as well as patient stories, on ehospice UK at: www.ehospice.com/uk