Join 350,000+ subscribers and keep yourself informed with a selection of
The Week’s most interesting, enlightening and entertaining stories - plus daily puzzles.
You are now subscribed
Your newsletter sign-up was successful
Want to add more newsletters?
An account already exists for this email address, please log in.
Why the UK is the best place in the world to die
Palliative care provided by the NHS and hospices is 'second to none', according to new report
The UK provides the best end-of-life care in the world, ranking highly for quality and availability of services in a new global study.
A report by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) analysed services in 80 countries and concluded that palliative care provided by the NHS and hospices in Britain was "second to none".
"The UK is an acknowledged leader in palliative care," said author Annie Pannelay. "That reflects its comprehensive strategy towards the issue as well as the improvements that are being made."
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Join more than 350,000 subscribers and keep yourself informed with a selection of The Week’s most interesting, enlightening and entertaining stories - plus daily puzzles.
Join more than 350,000 subscribers and keep yourself informed with a selection of The Week’s most interesting, enlightening and entertaining stories - plus daily puzzles.
Countries were assessed on a number of criteria, including quality of the hospitals and hospices, staffing levels and skills, and affordability and quality of care, according to the BBC.
The UK received a score of 93.9 out of 100, achieving top marks for affordability and quality. Australia, New Zealand and Ireland also scored highly, while Iraq and Bangladesh were ranked the worst.
The study's authors warned that combating perceptions of death and cultural taboos is crucial to improving end-of-life care around the world.
"Death and dying are stigmatised in some cultures to the point where they are taboo," the report says, while "in western societies death has become medicalised and curative procedures are often prioritised ahead of palliative care."
Sign up for The Week’s Good News newsletter
Stories of progress and joy, delivered every Thursday
Despite the UK's top ranking, experts warn that there is still room for improvement as the population continues to live longer and deaths become more "drawn out".
"There can be no room for complacency, especially as the demand for palliative care is increasing," said Claire Henry, from the National Council for Palliative Care.
