WASHINGTON, D.C.: The care system for dying patients with terminal illnesses is lacking and needs a major overhaul, says a damning new report.
Patients are being left without sufficient pain relief and respite.
The report found inequalities in access to good care, with certain groups of patients more likely to miss out. With an aging population and demand for care increasing, the problem looked set to worsen, it warned.
Those who currently miss out include:
– The “oldest old” (aged 85 and over)
– People living alone
– People living in deprived areas
– Black, Asian and ethnic minority groups
Most palliative care goes to cancer patients, even though the diseases account for less than a third of deaths. Only a fifth of new referrals to specialist end-of-life services are for people with non-cancer diagnoses…