Abstract

The VOICES Survey (Views of Informal Carers – Evaluation of Services) is a validated survey among bereaved carers, to develop an understanding about the care dying patients and their carers received in the last three months of a patient’s life.

City and Hackney Clinical Commissioning Group funded a one year evaluation of care services. The VOICES survey was administered by St Joseph’s Hospice following up expected deaths under the care of Homerton University Hospital and St Joseph’s Hospice between April 2015 and March 2016. Quantifiable and qualitative findings offer extensive insight into the care provided out-of-hours, in the community, care homes, GPs, hospitals and hospices.

The majority of bereaved participants were pleased with the provided care they. However, the quality of care differs between care settings and patient location. It shows that females are more likely to respond. Also, respondent-patient ethnicities do not reflect the diversity of the local population. This asks for a targeted approach to overcome ethnic boundaries to understand their experience.

Dignity and respect have the best ratings in hospice care (100%) followed by hospital care (89%), GP care (84%) and community care (75%). Pain relief is considerably more successful in inpatient settings (62%) compared to community care (27%). Excellence of care is rated best in hospice care (81%) and dropping to an average of 38% across other services.

Feedback provided by participants offer insight into participant and patient experiences. The comments were often very positive. Nevertheless they highlighted emotional and logistical challenges patients, respondents and professionals experienced how strongly it affected their lives and the care they received.

The final report will be published in September 2016. By July 2016 we expect to have invited around 450 carers and eventually received 90 completed questionnaires. So far 320 people have been invited of which 55 completed the questionnaire.