David Praill said:
"As the UK charity for hospice care, Help the Hospices wants the very best care for everyone facing the end of life and we are encouraged to see that progress is being made in helping more people to die at home.
"Hospice care seeks to improve people’s quality of life before they die by providing care that is personal and tailored to the needs and wishes of the individual and their friends and family.
"For hospices, supporting people so that they can be cared for and die in the place of their choice is key. People who are cared for by their local hospice are in fact more likely to die in their own home.
"Around 70% of hospice care is provided in peoples’ own homes, but hospice care can also be provided in care homes, outpatient clinics and hospice in-patient units, depending on what is right for the individual and their family.
"We should also remember that the needs and wishes of dying people and their families can change, and hospice care is flexible to allow it to be tailored to people’s changing circumstances.
"Although the progress outlined in the report is encouraging, we still have a long way to go to make sure that more people are cared for in their place of choice. To achieve that, we need additional investment by the government in community services including hospices.
"As well as providing care for the patient, hospices also have an important role to play in offering support for unpaid carers and involving local communities in supporting people at home.
"We also need to establish stronger working partnerships between primary, secondary care, social services and hospices in order to ensure integrated services for people facing the end of life."
