Findings of the National End of Life Survey | 2023
A total of 2,639 people said that their relative or friend had spent time in an acute hospital during the last three months of their life. 22 Just over half of participants said that their relative or friend had been in hospital once in the last three months of their life (1,392 of 2,677, 52%), while a quarter (25.5%, 682) had been admitted twice, with 18.6% (n=498) having been admitted three or more times. 105 participants (3.9%) were not sure how many times their relative or friend had been in hospital. Over half of people had stayed in a hospital for between one and four weeks (Figure 3.13).
Figure 3.13 Length of stay in an acute hospital
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
23.3%
53.6%
18.8% 4.3%
Less than 1 week
1 to 4 weeks
5 to 12 weeks
Longer than 12 weeks
Figure 3.14 shows the average scores (out of 10) for questions on ‘care in an acute hospital’. The highest-scoring questions related to pain relief and relief from other symptoms, with 64.6% of participants (1,627 of 2,520) saying that healthcare sta did everything they could to relieve their relative or friend’s pain. Similarly, 64.3% of participants (1,647 of 2,561) said that healthcare sta did everything they could to relieve their relative or friend’s other symptoms (such as nausea, constipation, breathing diɝculties or restlessness). Further, 67.7% of people (1,850 of 2,732) said that their relative or friend was always treated with respect and dignity during their last hospital stay. The lowest-scoring question concerned support with emotional needs, with 44.3% of people (968 of 2,737) saying that healthcare sta did not help and support their relative or friend with their emotional needs (for example feeling worried, feeling anxious, feeling low).
22 A further 15 (0.4%) did not know if their friend or relative stayed in an acute hospital.
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