Demographic and clinical data for Northumberland and North Tyneside
| All patients | Northumberland (n=168) | North Tyneside (n=68) |
|---|---|---|
| Number of males | 96 (57.1%) | 33 (48.5%) |
| Mean age at death in years | 83.1 (SD 6.51) | 81.9 (SD 5.89) |
| Median time from diagnosis to death in years | 5.2 (IQR 2.4–8.7) | 4.9 (IQR 2.2–7.9) |
| Place of death | Hospital: 75 (44.6%, 95% CI 37.1 to 52.2) | Hospital: 35 (51.5%, 95% CI 39.6 to 63.3) |
| Home: 42 (25.0%, 95% CI 18.5 to 31.5) | Home: 14 (20.6%, 95% CI 11.0 to 30.2) | |
| Nursing or residential care home: 41 (24.4%, 95% CI 17.9 to 30.9) | Nursing or residential care home: 18 (26.5%, 95% CI 16.0 to 37.0) | |
| Not recorded: 10 (6.0%) | Not recorded: 1 (1.5%) | |
| Died in hospital | Northumberland (n=75) | North Tyneside (n=35) |
| Median time from admission to death in days | 14.0 (IQR 6.0–28.5) | 14.0 (IQR 5.0–50.0) |
| Referred to multidisciplinary palliative care team | 10 (13.3%) | 5 (14.3%) |
| End-of-life care discussions documented | 7 (9.3%), 6 with relatives, 1 with patients | 3 (8.6%), 1 with relatives, 2 with patients |
| LCP implemented | 30 (40.0%) | 16 (45.7%) |
| DNAR notice in place at time of death | 53 (70.7%) | 29 (82.9%) |
| Dopaminergic medication stopped on starting the LCP | 26 (89.7%, of those on the LCP and taking dopaminergic medication)* | 16 (100%, of those on the LCP and taking dopaminergic medication) |
| Swallowing difficulty | 31 (41.3%) | 16 (45.7%) |
| Rotigotine patches used | 7 (9.3%) | 4 (11.4%) |
| Apomorphine used | 2 (2.7%) | 0 |
| NG tube used | 18 (24.0%) | 10 (28.6%) |
*One patient was not taking dopaminergic medication on admission.
LCP, Liverpool Care Pathway; DNAR, do not attempt resuscitation; NG, nasogastric.