{
  "abstract": "Background Hospice inpatient care is often considered gold standard, yet only supports a minority (Department of Health. End of life care strategy: promoting high quality care for all adults at the end of life. 2008). For example, in 2019, 84.7% of deaths in hospices in England and Wales were from cancer, while 15.3% were non-cancer (Tobin, Rogers, Winterburn, et al. BMJ Support Palliat Care. 2022;12(2):142–51). There is a lack of research into this, not least due to a ‘paucity of evidence around the factors that influence access to palliative care’ (Antonacci, Barrie, Baxter, et al. J Aging Res. 2020;2020:3921245).Aim To better understand access to UK inpatient hospice care, focussing on the reported barriers to admission. To understand who might be marginalised from care, what is considered a good death, and potential suggestions for overcoming health inequity.Methods A mixed method approach combining online survey, and interviews. Participants were recruited from three groups: providers of hospice inpatient care, referrers into that care, and the public. Surveys were analysed using univariate statistics, while interviews were interrogated reflexively, using thematic analysis.Results 132 people completed the survey. 63% of providers, 46% of the public, and 89% of referrers said access to hospice inpatient care is not equitable within the UK. 32 people were interviewed. 86% of providers, 83% of the public, and 100% of referrers believed that access is not equitable. Barriers include lack of knowledge, geography and infrastructure, referral and admission processes, recruitment and retention of clinical staff, and finance. Suggestions to overcome barriers include education, public relations, and improving statutory commissioning. The findings from the small survey also suggest who is, and is not, likely to be admitted to inpatient hospice care in the UK.Conclusion This research will help towards an understanding of who is unable to access care, why, and what can be done to overcome this. Recommendations based on these findings could contribute to the national agenda to overcome health inequities, and to the future development of hospice care.",
  "authors": [
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK"
      ],
      "name": "Laura Beechey"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK"
      ],
      "name": "Mari Lloyd-Williams"
    }
  ],
  "title": "P-161 Equity of access to inpatient hospice care in the United Kingdom",
  "uid": "39aeae88-69b2-52fe-a756-3cd9d680a58f"
}