Background Whilst a string of strategy reports (Department of Health, 2008) over the last decade have laid out aspirations for good care, responsive to individual needs and preferences, at the end of life, Care Quality Commission (2016) data reveals huge variability in provision. Inequities relating to geography, age, ethnic group, geographical area and disease/condition are frequently reported (House of Commons Health Committee, 2015).

Aims There are a paucity of studies looking at how national policy in end of life care helps to shape local practice both in relation to allocation of resources and attempts to improve national consistency in end of life provision. This study will ask if national policy is effective in helping to surmount the system challenges confronted in delivering an effective end of life service and whether the aspirations of policy fit with the views of patients, carers, clinicians and managers.

Methods Phase 1: Scoping study. Literature review and semi-structured interviews with a sample of professionals from the statutory and non-statutory sector who have been influential in shaping current policy. The purpose of these interviews is to help identify and map key challenges in end of life care, to shed light on how policy has evolved and how it supports and guides practice. Phase 2: Case studies in three Clinical Commissioning Groups to interrogate how end of life care is rolled out at a local level.

Results This presentation will discuss results of the ongoing scoping study due to be completed by August 2018.

Conclusions It is anticipated that this poster will generate important conversations that will inform the direction of Phase 2 of the PhD. Key recommendations will be provided for professionals and policy makers that will feed into the debate concerning how end of life policy and guidance at can contribute to achieving more equitable and consistent end of life care.