End of life care by UK ambulance services: the patient experience
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Understanding the experiences of patients and relatives when receiving end of life care provided by UK ambulance services.
IRAS ID
323227
Contact name
Mel Watson
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Sheffield
Duration of Study in the UK
2 years, 9 months, 30 days
Research summary
It is becoming more common for patients at the end of life to be cared for at home supported by a team of professionals including their GP, community nurses, and specialist palliative care teams. However, in times of emergency or crisis, it is often the ambulance service that is called upon to provide advice and treatment. This can be a challenge as ambulance crews may not have the specialised knowledge or experience required which can mean patients find themselves taken to A&E even if they would rather stay at home.
The existing research in this area focuses on the experiences of the ambulance crew, there has been no previous study that looked at the experiences of patients themselves. In order to fill this gap I am proposing to interview patients (and their relatives) who have experience calling an emergency ambulance for someone with end-of-life care needs. The interviews will last for 30-60 minutes and will involve discussing the reasons for the emergency call and the participant's feelings about the care that the ambulance crew provided. This will include talking about what made their care particularly good or bad. The overall aim of the study is to identify ways that ambulance services can improve the care they provide to this group of patients.
REC name
Wales REC 6
REC reference
23/WA/0016
Date of REC Opinion
3 Mar 2023
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion