Place of death: Hobson’s Choice or patient choice?

Abstract

The place of final care for patients with terminal illness is influenced more by resource availability than patient choice. Resources are not consistently available across the UK to provide successful palliative home care for all those that require this facility. This paper surveys the literature on home care for terminal cancer patients and outlines proposals for a new initiative in Lancashire and South Cumbria to address this issue and improve palliative care services in the community.