• Marie Curie publishes emergency admissions briefing
• The charity argues that emergency admissions in the final year of life can often be avoided with adequate care in the community is provided
• We say we need to boost NHS community services so there are enough beds and staff to ensure good end of life care.

Marie Curie has published a data briefing on NHS emergency admissions.

It finds that were over 1.6 million emergency admissions for people in the last year of their life in Britain in 2016, costing the NHS £2.5 billion and amounting to around 11 million days in hospital.

The briefing argues that emergency admissions to hospital for people in the last year of life can often be avoided if adequate care in the community is provided.

Responding to the briefing, the deputy chief executive at NHS Providers, Saffron Cordery, said:

“People have a right to expect appropriate care in the right setting at the end of their lives. This report makes clear that we need to boost NHS community services so there are enough beds and staff to ensure good end of life care.

It is clear that we need to boost NHS community services so there are enough beds and staff to ensure good end of life care.

“It is urgent that we confront the realities of an aging population and its impact on our health and care services. People are living longer, but with more complex care needs and often multiple long term conditions. This is driving emergency admissions up unsustainably.

“NHS Providers will shortly publish its 'State of the provider sector' report, with a clear focus on the challenges facing community services and recommendations to support and develop their links with the rest of health and social care.”