Hospices ’overlooked’ during key moments of pandemic

New research by University of Warwick researchers highlights the challenges faced by hospices in West Midlands. Early findings of a new research project have found that hospices in the West Midlands felt they were "overlooked" at key moments during the pandemic. Researchers from the Universities of Warwick, Sheffield and Hertfordshire, alongside end of life charity Marie Curie, are investigating the impact of the pandemic on hospices across the West Midlands region, in a bid to use the findings to improve clinical practice for people dying now and in the future. As part of the project researchers have reviewed reflections from health professionals who feel palliative care was overlooked by the government, with shortages of essential PPE, medicines, staff and volunteers described as having compromised an already challenging situation. Some said that the work of hospice staff, who were under more pressure than ever before, has not been adequately recognised. Huge changes in the way hospices are run across the region were forced to be implemented "overnight", the findings have also revealed. Those interviewed also commented on the increased provision of palliative care in the home, with some noting that not every home is a suitable place to provide end of life care.