Atlas of Palliative Care Across Europe Unveiled
The standard of palliative care provided for those approaching the end of their lives varies greatly, according to the first comprehensive European overview of the service. Researchers, led by Professor David Clark from the University of Glasgow and Professor Carlos Centeno of the University of Navarra, Spain have compiled a European Atlas of provision which will be unveiled at the World Congress of Palliative Care, in Prague, May 30th - June 2nd 2013. The Atlas offers a comprehensive overview of services, policies and strategies to improve end of life care in the 53 countries which make up the World Health Organisation's (WHO) European Region through a series of maps which chart the relationship in many countries between high Gross Domestic Product (GDP), Human Development Index (HDI) and indicators relating to health expenditure. The Atlas also contains detailed profiles of palliative care delivery in each country, with information updated from a previous study in 2007. The team found that some countries, including the United Kingdom, Sweden and Iceland scored consistently high on all indicators, with the highest concentration of palliative care services per head of population found to be in Ireland, Belgium, Luxembourg and Sweden. Although levels end of life provision were poorer in the former Communist block the research did conclude that Eastern European palliative care provision was generally good, in spite of the relatively lower standards of living in that part of the continent, with the Republic of Moldova, Romania and Poland noted as areas where a significant level of palliative care development has been reached.
